Our Full House
by trulysleepdeprived
Summary: What happens when 'the' Hannah Montana unintentionally buys a house from a defiant young woman named Lilly Truscott and has no other choice but to move in with her? Surely things will go into haywire...AU Liley
1. Introduction

**Ok, this is what I get for having a painful writer's block for CCM. I promise it'll get somewhere...eventually. Lol, jk. Anyways, this is my new Liley story I've been working on secretly. I've done as what you guys wanted, the middle of one of the scenes that will be in the story. You might be wondering why I chose this specific scene, but it'll all be answered after this intro is published. So, happy readings!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters, the creators do. Any problem against homosexuality, please refrain from flaming. Constructive criticism is helpful! And remember to review! **

**P.S _(*SPOILER*ALERT*)_: So I saw "I Honestly Love You (No Not You)" already. I hated it, yet I really loved it (even if it was a Loliver episode). Why?  
#1: I hated it because-- Oliver makes Lilly look like an annoying OC that it bugs me that she can't stand up for herself anymore. There she is, crying pathetically on the Stewarts couch. Lilly was never this vulnerable! She had guts! If someone didn't love her back, she'd do something rather than just bawl about it. GEEZ.  
#2: I loved it because-- Even if it was a Loliver episode, it had _PLENTY_ of Liley. From the beginning, middle (especially the middle), to the end. From Lilly taking care of Miley in the hospital, to cutely making fun of her by making fishy faces; from Miley protecing her, and wanting what's best for her to Miley always being there for her. If you look closely, the way Miley takes care of her...yea, just look closely to that. The hug Miley gives is just SO adorable. I mean, I don't give faces like that when I'm comforting my bffs. Just saying.**

**Sorry for the long note, lol. I had to get that off my chest. What can I say? Canon couples are _way_ too predictable. But even it was too predictable, it was really funny. And it also had a lot of _super_ good Liley moments ;) Even if it was a Loliver one; although, when they said 'I love you' to each other, it didn't really seem like they meant it.**

**God, I've got to learn how to stop rambling. Please, read on.**

* * *

All Lilly needed to do was just to get into the party; easy right? According to the long line outside of Skillet, it wasn't. People dressed up as can-can dancers, Cirque du Soleil, Zorro, and any other kind of exotic characters lined up to get into Hannah's masquerade promotion party. Thanks to the people up at the front who forgot to 'bring' their invites, Lilly was losing patience by the second. She was also getting a bit hot with the costume she was wearing.

If only I got to the stupid costume store earlier, she thought. And if only stupid Miley wouldn't make me clean the damn house all over again. Why did she have to leave so quickly and leave me to do all the work again? Oh right, because I found out last night that she's the Hannah Montana. And if she were to tell people the big secret, Miley threatened her that she would have no other place to stay. And I thought she was supposed to be a role model to people.

By the time Lilly was second in line to get into the party, the bulky bodyguard stopped everyone's defiant arguments.

"Ok ladies," he looked to Lilly, "And gents, please, make through for Ms. Montana." Screams were louder when Hannah (in her short, yet stunning costume and mask) stepped out of the shiny black limo. "Ok, back off!" The African-American bodyguard boomed to the line. The crowd went quiet in an instant and backed off like what they were told.

"Thanks, Harry," she patted his back and waved to the people waiting in line. Someone behind Lilly fainted and Lilly rolled her eyes. Wow, she mouthed.

"Oops," her stub underneath her bottom lip nearly came off. She pretended to yawn and took out her envelope as a ticket to get in. Okay, maybe not _her_ invitation, but Miley's fake one. It was a free copy of what the invite would look like and Hannah's publicity agent sent one to Miley just in case. So, curiosity got to her and Lilly thought it would be a perfect chance to steal it away from Miley's grasp when she was out and go to the party.

Except she didn't have enough time to get a dress, hence the mysterious man's tuxedo that she's wearing with the white mask that covered her eyes and forehead and a short bowler's hat, since they ran out of the tall hats that was supposed to come with the tux.

Hannah (who is really Miley, Lilly reassured to herself), walked in the building and the crowd behind her pushed forward to see more. The bodyguard pushed them back with his bulk of a body and Lilly's hat fell. Thank god I'm wearing a wig, she sighed. Screw the hat; it looked terrible with the outfit, anyways.

Harry pushed the two people who were confronting him away, nearly punching them to go get a taxi because they didn't have the invites to get in. Lilly gulped timidly as she approached the bulking young man who seemed to be three times Lilly's height and weight put together.

She cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "Hey, I have the invite right here." Harry snapped the envelope away from her hands and ripped it out. He glanced back and forth to Lilly and the invitation.

"Congratulations," he deadpanned, "you are the first one who has the right invitation. Go on right in." Lilly took in a deep breath nodded her head towards him as he gave the crumpled up paper back, thinking that everyone in the male world does that to appreciate what he gets. Apparently, Harry doesn't think so. "Get in there and don't make me change my mind," he snapped at her. Lilly jumped and pushed right in.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. Fog machines blocked her view along with the disco lights that blinded her eyes altogether. Her ears started to ring as the blaring music caught up to her. Colorful costumes passed by her as she made her way down to the short set of stairs.

"Hey," a girl came up to her. She was wearing a showgirl's costume and Lilly first thought that she was crazy for going up to her like that. But the thought of the masquerade party came back to her. "Wanna come to the back? I'll show you a few tricks I've been _dying_ to try out," she winked seductively. The thought of her wearing a man's costume nearly left her mind.

"Uh…um…C-c-can you hold that thought? I need a drink."

"Sure, I'll be waiting," she winked again. Lilly gulped and ran to the bar stools. Now that was a close call.

"Can I have some water?" Lilly asked one of the bartenders.

"You sure you don't want anything else?" he asked as he offered her the cup.

Before the man could get her response, she sped off quickly to find someone who works in the publishing firm. Of course, that's why she came there in the first place: to look for someone who works in the journalism area. She brought with her a flash drive that had a copy of an essay she was working on earlier this month (before Hannah-slash-Miley came around and stole her house from her).

Walking around aimlessly, random types of women stopped her and played around with her faux hair. Some went further than others and nearly went down her pants. Freaking out, she tried to run to a safe place to hide and cower away from them. Eventually, she went outside and saw a small stage set up that was surrounded by metal structures and at least more than ten speakers hanging from it. Behind it were a big cutout of Hannah's face and a smaller cutout of the CD album she's promoting and the movie Hannah starred in.

Lilly rolled her eyes as she saw plenty of people going up to her for an autograph. If only they knew the _real_ her and her big secret. Oh, and of course how OCD she is about a clean house. She's a freakin' freak when it comes to cleaning!

Just live it through, Lilly, she thought to herself. Just until I can pay the six-thousand dollars back. She sighed. This is hopeless; I can never pay her back. I can't believe she used me! Either you pay me back and live homeless or clean the house and do housekeeping until I say so! She mocked. Lilly sneered and spat at the floor. Bitch, I hope karma gets to you.

----------

Miley's hand was starting to cramp after signing eighty-three pictures, which she counted exhaustingly in her head. Her mouth was hurting from smiling too much at one sitting and her voice is getting hoarse from saying the same sentence repeatedly.

"Hi, how're you?" she'd say, caring less of what they'd say back.

"Oh my gosh (or Ohmigawd), I am a _huge_ (or big) fan of yours," they would start. "I love your song, '[insert-song-title-here]!' I, like, listen to it every single day of every single moment. " Then they would give her the copy of the Hannah Montana picture with shaky hands and hold their breaths.

"Thanks, it means a lot to me. You are the best!" Hannah says as she rapidly writes down, 'Rock on' or 'Be true to yourself (which Miley laughed to herself)' or any other inspirational crap people find interesting coming from an international pop star. Then she completes it with an 'xoxo, Hannah Montana' and a "Thanks, I hope you'll stay for the concert (that also comes in with a charming smile)."

The fan standing before her starts to hyperventilate and nearly faints. Her manager calls in the next anxious fan and it starts all over again.

"Oh…my…god. You-you-you…you-you-you're…"

Miley smiled as she braces through the fan's struggle to say her name. "Hannah Montana," she finished for her. She looked behind the girl's back to see how much longer she has to sign. She nearly broke the felt pen in her hand as she saw almost millions of people waiting in line…And Jake…with Mikayla. What were they doing here?

"Marge," she pulled her manager's shoulder down. "After this one, I want done," she seethed to her ear. The mid-aged red-head nodded and turned around to talk to the bodyguard standing next to her.

Miley smiled back to the fan and finished up her last signing routine. She heard the fans whined in disapproval as she goes backstage to wash off and relax. Maybe go over and talk to that stinkin' two-time cutie with that bees-weez of a bitch, Miley thought harshly to herself.

Walking over to the sides of the stage, Jake calls out to her with Mikayla in tow. Damn it.

"Hannah, honey!" He starts and Miley has no other choice but to approach the couple. "Wow, big movie and CD promo, nice," he winked at her. Miley tried not to let her knees go weak.

"Yea, thanks. I thought you were out in Europe for filming?" Miley jumped down the stage and the trio started to walk down the path in front of them

"Yes, I am, but I wanted to come and support you." And you just _had_ to bring in the lovely Mikayla? "And Mikayla wanted to come over to congratulate you, too! So we came here together. Hope you don't mind," he finishes with a grin.

Yes, I do mind. "No, of course not. All are welcome here. Thanks for coming, Mikayla." She offered a hand, but the black-haired girl smirked evilly at her. "Yea, so…" She let her gloved hand drop back to her side.

"Hey, do you guys want drinks? I'll go get some. Be right back." And there Jake left the two rivals alone. Of course, he doesn't know that they hate each other, really, so Miley couldn't blame him. But she can partially blame him for just leaving her at the restaurant the week before. Right before she was about to pop the question to him and left her hopeless. Miley hated to think about it, but it came on coming back to her.

"So, Hannah, trying to steal my fans again?" a high-pitched voice interrupted her thoughts. "Ha, like you're actually going to keep them for good now. Like you really can anyways."

Miley crossed her arms and jutted her hips. "Don't go sassing me like that, you little weasel. What're you doing here with Jake? He's supposed to be in Europe filming, and you're supposed to be in…hell."

Mikayla scoffed and flipped her hair. "You wish. I met him at the airport and the news about your promos came up, so we decided to come. Of course, if you're thinking that I just wanted to so you that Jake's all mine again, you're right. Oh, did he forget to tell you? He's filming with me again." Mikayla smirked as she checked her nails with tongue in cheek. "I'm just here to tell you if he hasn't."

The blonde scrunched up her nose and refrained from pushing the black-haired girl to the fountain behind her. "Oh, thanks then, because, for your information, I don't like Jake anymore. And I never did."

"Oh really, because I thought you had a thing with him?" Mikayla laughed teasingly. "So I guess that means that you did love him? I'm guessing you still do."

Miley was close to punching her square little face and send her straight to the lit fountain. But, like she was trained to control her emotions, Miley held her clenching fists to her sides. Instead, she started to raise her voice to her. "Okay, that's it. I don't love Jake, nor will I ever! Now stop assuming things about things you don't know! The girl who loved Jake was Miley, not me. Miley is a close friend of mine and she confides in me about everything. Where'd you hear crap like that from?"

"Miley's my best friend! How would you even know? She hates you just as much as I do, conniving little –"

"Whoa, ladies, ladies." Jake came in between them and held them off. "Ladies, you're making quite a crowd."

Miley took in a breath and stepped back. "Right, right, I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to do that." Mikayla scoffed and took Jake's arm and led him underneath the back porch of the bar. Jake resisted and stood his ground next to Hannah.

"Miley," he whispered to her ear, not wanting to let the crowd to hear what they're saying. "Calm down."

"Jake, how can you bring her here? You know I hate her!" Miley tried to find suitable excuses.

"How should I know? You never told me anything! You never _tell_ me anything!" Jake squeezed her elbow as a sign of anger. "You never told me that you still love me. I thought we were over that!"

Miley clenched her jaw and sniffed. "I never tell you anything?! You never told me that you're filming with _her_ again," she spat back.

Jake glared in one moment, and then smirked in the other. "So, you still love me, huh?" he tried to change the subject.

Miley could not believe that she sees something in a guy like him. "Jake!" She ripped her elbow off her grasp. "I don't know _what_ I see in you…" she stomped off back to the stage, everyone looking at the scene unfolding in front of them. This was a side of Hannah they've never seen happen in public, other than the gossip that's been going around on paper.

"Miley, wait, I'm sorry. Yes, I guess that was wrong of me to do that and I'm sorry that I bailed on you last week. I didn't mean to, but my manager paged me at the last minute that the flight had been moved up." Miley didn't buy it. "Look, can't we just forget about it?" Jake took her hand and led her down the steps of the stage. The crowd tried to look around and tip-toe their way around the bodyguards who were blocking their view of a perfect angsty teen show.

"Jake," Miley sighed. After a history of ups and downs, Miley was getting a bit fed up. She just wants Jake to notice that she's right there in front of him.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't, okay? I," he mumbled, "I love Mikayla. I'm sorry. I love you, too, but, it's just…"

Miley should've known this was coming, but she went with it anyways. "Save it. I know." Sniffing, she made her way towards the fountain, near the bombarding fans who're trying to get close.

"Miley," he whispered. "I'm really sorry." Mikayla ran down and held his hand and snuggled on his shoulder.

She can't feel bad now; it's near Showtime. She needs to act quickly and save herself from embarrassment. Walking her way towards the fans' area, in which they screamed louder, she hastily starts to hatch up a plan.

"Y'know, Mikayla, you maybe one lucky girl," she lied through her teeth, "but I'm an even luckier girl." She glanced over to the hand that she's holding behind the blocked area. Please be a guy, please be a guy, she pleaded. For a good looking guy (okay, so he was wearing a mask that covered half of his face), he sure does have some smooth hands. Hurriedly, she pulled the random young man through the bodyguards' big set of arms. "In fact, I have him, my big bowl of yumilicioius." She cuddled with the man's head and patted his chest. Huh, for a guy's head, he sure does smell _really_ good, almost with a hint of passion fruit mixed with Axe. And he's also a bit short. A bit short meaning nearly a whole forehead shorter than her. Whatever, he's still a guy.

"Who's he…?" Jake pointed out as he and Mikayla stepped in closer. "Isn't he a bit…short?"

"Psh, maybe some random fan. I mean, look at her: she's desperate!" Mikayla glared at Hannah and the lost young man.

"He's not some random fan," Miley patted his shoulder and rubbed his chest. "And he's not short." She gulped as she knew what she has to do next. "He's my fiancé. We're getting married in a few weeks." She turned around and pulled the man closer to her. Slowly, she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. She finished off soundly, but kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see the faces of the people around her or the person who's holding her. For a guy, he really does have soft lips. And they taste like coconut and vanilla.

I have to open my eyes, I have to. I'll apologize and I'll tell him the rest of the –

Miley wished she didn't open her eyes. She wished she didn't look down directly into the pair of bright blue eyes staring back at her, because she knew who they belonged to.

"Oh my god," she muttered under her breath. "L-Lilly…Truscott?"

* * *

**Whoa there! Confused? Any thoughts? Love the preview? Hate it? Leave 'em here! I'd LOVE to hear your guys' thoughts! **


	2. Chapter 1

**Ey, you must be wondering why I'm early: I'm goin' to SoCal next week! So I needed a proper farewell since I didn't tell you guys last time. And don't worry, I wrote this chapter awhile ago. It's not like I crammed it in one whole day, lol (But that would be so cool if I just wrote a chapter a day!). Anyways, here's how it all started. The beginning's kinda boring but I really hope you don't mind!!! Just read all the way to the end, please? **

**About the plot: I was inspired by watching the Korean Drama, "Full House." It was absolutely fantastic! I've watched for more than like five times and I've decided to make it into a Liley fic. I was like, 'maybe I should make this a Lilly/Jake fic," but then it just wasn't worth it and it wouldn't be original. Anyways, a few situations are similar to the KDrama itself, but I've added my own dramatic twists to it so it'll make it intriguing (I hope, lol). **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of it's characters, the creators do. Consrtuctive criticism is helpful! Remember to review!**

**P.S: I've only been out of state once and that was to Las Veags. And I was only seven or eight at the time. I'm sorry for the vague details about the upcoming state I've chosen to be as a setting. I've only got Google by my side, lol. Um, like I've said before, the beginning's totally tedious, but bare with me; it'll only get better! **

* * *

The sound of the constant annoying beeping stirred Lilly awake from her beauty sleep. Her jaw and neck cracked as she yawned and stretched out of bed. Her eyes glanced toward the analog clock set among the 'junk' on her bedside table.

11:30 already? Wow, what did I do all night? She thought as she stepped out of bed and slipped on her slippers and wore her horn-rimmed glasses. Scratching an itch on her left shoulder, she slid open her bedroom door and walked down the stairs aligned right next to her room. Her footsteps plunked loudly against the hardwood set of stairs and plunked even louder when she reached the first floor's glazed cement that reminded her of Costco's.

Yawning, she went to the bathroom and sighed. The same routine became tedious at points, but it helps her get through her writer's block. She picked up her dainty little toothbrush and applied a dab of Aquafresh toothpaste. Somehow, today, the toothpaste looked quite interesting.

Red, white, and blue…Aha! She sped out the room with brush in mouth and went up to the second floor, only taking the other set of stairs that spirals up next to the living room. Jackets, pillows, shirts, pants, any kind of clothing started to rain down to the floor from the rail as Lilly thumped up the stairs.

"I am a geniuth!" she spat as she started to type down her thoughts about patriotic colors on her desktop. The fluoride in her mouth started to foam and she skipped back down, finishing up her morning wash. "Red, white, and blue with a hint of mint! America can keep fresh and can stay clean in minty condition…" she thought out loud. Apparently she didn't see the basket filled with clothes when she was walking out of her room. "Ah, damn. Maybe I should do the laundry…"

Walking over to the kitchen, she yawned once again as she rubbed her eyes. Crap! It's Wednesday! She hurriedly ran up the spiral stairs and changed into her jogging outfit.

I can't believe I forgot that Jackson's coming over today. Argh, I wonder what he wants to show me this time. Damn it, where the hells are my running shoes?

Lilly searched underneath her so-called 'made' bed and in her closet. No running shoes to be found. Although she did find a good clean pair of socks. Slipping then on as she ran down the stairs for what seems to be the fourth time today; she tried to find her pair of shoes on the first floor.

"Aha! Gotcha!" She stuck her hand inside the closet downstairs and ripped it out. It was a bad idea to do so after the stacks of jackets and boxes fell on top of her. She yelped and eventually made her way out from the small avalanche. After putting on her shoes, she debated if she should clean up now or after her run.

"Later is good." Procrastination got to the better of her and went and grabbed her hat that was sitting on the marbled kitchen island. "And maybe cleaning the dishes would be good, too." Lilly then walked to the sliding door which separated the front door from the house just by a few feet and started to go for a run. "Clean the dishes, sort the closet, and do the laundry; my checklist for the day."

Today was a good day, unlike the days prior. Nothing terrible could happen if she got an idea for an essay so early in the morning.

----------

Miley woke up to the sound of digital beeping. Her long arm lazily smacked it to the floor. A throbbing pain began to linger near her temples and she groaned as she sat up and cracked her neck.

"Miley, time to move it. You have a flight to New York for your movie promos." Miley sighed as the voice from the other side of the door disappeared. "Come on! Your flight's in three hours!"

"Okay, Marge, I get the hint!" she yelled back.

"Oh, and don't forget, you have a concert while you're there, too!"

God damn it, why can't she just shut the hell up?! "Okay! I know! I remember!"

Miley finally opened her eyes and muttered wordless mumbles under her breath. She hated doing this; stay at one place for a night (sometimes at most three nights), then leave the next morning. She hated this. For once in her life she just wanted to settle in one place and just stay there and get away from the paparazzi. Apparently, having two separate lives doesn't really help much if she's just going out as Hannah Montana most of the time.

Okay, maybe not _most_ of the time, but the _whole_ time. So much for living the best of both worlds.

Finally all dressed up as herself and not as her alter ego, Miley packed up her purse and small suitcase. She paged Marge, her red-headed manager, to let her take the Hannah stuff and send it to Malibu's airport.

"Marge, I'm set. Let's just get this over with." The brunette sulked over to her manager and yawned.

"Boy, what did you do last night? Go out partying again?" Marge teased and opened the newspaper she was holding on her lap.

Miley didn't hear what she was saying and nodded herself to sleep again. Until a loud snap woke her up again. "Huh? Wha-what happened?"

"Miley," her manager started to say. Miley didn't like where this was going. "I can_not_ believe you did this _again_." She straightened out the paper in front of her client's face and smacked it. In a big, red bold font, the letters pointed out that she was going to hell again. "You are ruining yourself! Your image! Ruined, again!"

Miley gulped. "Look, I can explain. I just –"

"Okay, ladies, I got everything ready, let's go head out to the airport." The concierge came over. Miley took in a breath and let it out silently. She reminded herself to pay him a really good tip.

"Don't think you're done with this," the red-head sneered as they walked out. "You, me, and Stan are gonna be having a mini-conference before we go to New York. So don't even think that you're lucky."

"Damn it." Miley tried not to strain the slightly older woman in public.

----------

Lilly finally reached back home and stretched out her kinks before she went back in. When she was done, she walked in and was surprised that the mess that she made was all cleaned up. Freaking out, she cautiously crept over to the refrigerator to see if the food were still in there. Thankfully they were still there.

"Okay…either this house actually does have magical powers…or someone broke into my house and cleaned it all up and – Oh my god, Jackson, what the hell are you doing here?!" Lilly fell back against the kitchen island and knocked down the glass of water she set down on the marbled table.

"Oh, come on! I just mopped the floor! Can't you be more considerate, squirt?" Jackson stood up from the couch in the living room and took the mop that was leaning against the dinner table.

"Wh-wh-what did you do to my house?" Lilly walked around, observing inch by inch. "Why is everything so _spotless_? You barely clean up, let alone your own apartment that's messy; why don't you clean your own place then?"

"Because," he heaved as he squeezed out the water from the mop to the bucket. "Because, it's your half-birthday!"

"My half-birthday? Jackson, my birthday itself will be in six weeks." Lilly crossed her arms and leaned against one of the two columns that hold up the second floor above the kitchen. "Jackson Rod Stewart, what is going on?"

"Okay, okay, no need to full-name me. You got me." He made his way towards the dinner table and propped his head in his hands. "Can't you blame a guy who cares for a woman?"

"Care for me? You_ care_ for me?" Lilly said as a joke. "Seriously, Jackson, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I just thought maybe…" he stuck his hand to his pocket protector and took out a bunch of folded up papers. "I got all-expense paid tickets to New York and front-row tickets to see Hannah Montana in concert over there." He smacked them down on the middle of the table. "Oh, almost forgot, backstage passes, too!"

Lilly slowly approached the tickets and held them in her hand. Questions raced in her mind. "Oh my god, how did you get these?!" Her face lit up. "Front-row _and_ backstage passes? Jackson, this is amazing!"

"I know! And I got it all for free!" That made Lilly shut up. "What? Free stuff can be good, too!"

"Jackson, nothing in the world could be free! Especially…whoa! First class airplane tickets? No fucking _way_." Lilly set them down before she could get too attached with the tremendously great deal.

"What? You don't want them?" The young dirty blond piled them all up in a neat stack. "I mean, I worked my ass off gettin' these babies."

"You're giving them to me? Jackson…What's going on?" Lilly sat down and held her friend's hand. "If you're in trouble, you can always come to me."

Jackson gulped and started to sweat a little. "I'm-I'm in no trouble! Geez, where'd that come up?" his voice pitched a bit higher.

"Okay, okay." Jackson exhaled softly. Thank god Lilly was a bit…naïve at times. "But where'd you get this? I mean, this must've cost a lot of money! You must've gotten some connections. Like really good connections."

"You have no idea…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"No, nothing. I mean I got them from my sister. She's the one who can pull strings like these."

"Wow, you have a sister? I never knew that. Well then, she must be seriously good then." Jackson mouth shrugged as Lilly nodded to herself. "Is she a con artist? I mean, these must've been like a living hell to get."

"She's not a con. But she's very tricky." He chuckled nervously. "And she can be a little bitch at times."

"What?" Lilly asked absent-mindedly, shuffling the tickets in hand.

"Nothing just that she likes to be a witch for Halloween, heh. That's all. So are you gonna go to New York?"

"Yea, I guess so. I mean, I haven't really been out of Malibu since high school…'cuz of y'know…" Lilly muttered.

"I'm really sorry, Lilly, really, I am." Jackson sympathized. At this moment, Jackson started to second guess about what he's doing. No, she needs it. "And that's why I'm doing this. You need to get out of this place, go see the world from the other side! Plus, it'll be good for your journalist ideas. Maybe it'll get through your writer's block!"

"Yea, yea it will! When do I go?" she perked up.

"Today! Her concert's tomorrow night and her movie promo is tonight, so maybe you can see her there, too." Somehow, Jackson regretted saying that.

"Today?!" she shrieked. "Jackson! I-today-not ready! _What_?!" She stood up from her seat and knocked down the seat to the floor.

"I reserved a room for you at the Grand Hyatt. It's an awesome place –"

"Jackson! Since when did you get all this money from? You still owe me the thirty bucks from last month!" Lilly paced back and forth.

"See, I'm paying you back now like this. Aren't you even considering going now?" Jackson pleaded.

Lilly stayed quiet for a moment. She sat back down and held her hands together. What to do, what to do? "Why are you doing this all of a sudden? I mean, one moment you're this obnoxious –"

"Hey! I resent that!"

"– male that lives in his junk –"

"Like you're one to say. Have you seen the junk that you have everywhere? I mean, that's why they created closets and drawers."

"– and then you come in all of a sudden, clean _my_ place 'til it literally _shines_ from top to bottom. And you don't like to clean! And then as if that isn't enough to please me, the tickets come in…Something's fishy…"

Jackson gulped. "Okay, the thing is –"

Lilly shook her head. When was she going to get a deal like this again? This was a free chance and it's hers for the taking! "No, no. You know what? Forget it! I'm goin' to New York!"

"You are?" Jackson looked up to her eyes and saw happiness. He didn't know it would go this easy…

"Hell yea! C'mon, I need help packing up stuff." Lilly ran up the stairs and left Jackson alone by himself.

Was this it? Was this how simple it was going to be? If this was his opportunity knocking, he'll open it and take it for grabs anytime of the day.

"Sweet nibblets, I'm gonna live!! Whoo-hoo!!!"

"Jackson!"

"Coming!" This was the day that Jackson will never forget.

----------

Miley knew she was going to get a beating from Stan, her slowly balding publicist agent. But how could she even help herself if a really super cute famous guy asked her to go out, then go to a bar and eventually get drunk? It was the hormones, she kept on telling them.

"C'mon, Marge! If the Jonas Brothers asked _you_ to go out with them, you would've said yes, right?"

"Miley," Stan interrupted and slammed the newspaper down on his office desk. "This," he pointed to picture of Hannah making out with a person that didn't look even close to Joe, Nick, and Kevin themselves, "is not going to help you. Even if you have a new CD and a movie coming out soon, they won't help you." The mid-aged man sighed loudly and sunk back into his seat.

Miley cowered and held her purse closer to her. "You've got to control yourself, Miley. I don't care if you live two different lives or if boys ask you out exclusively, because Hannah is at the top now. If you keep this up, you will be burned. You've got to stop all these tabloids about Hannah being a slutty little whore, even if it may be true."

Miley gaped and pouted. "He's got a point, Miley. You've got to stop doing this. You'll end up hurting yourself." Marge picked up her cup of coffee and slurped it up.

"You're right, I have to stop. It's a bad habit." Miley propped her head on her hand. This was getting nowhere. She wants out of this stupid paparazzi world. It's like she's the top buy of the shoots, right after Brangelina and Jessica Simpson with a sudden weight gain (again). Oh and don't forget Jon and Kate Plus Eight in another 'scandal' (oohh, scandalous!).

"Oh, I have some news about the place that you wanted. How do you like it: Two-story house with two bedrooms, one roomy bathroom, two sets of staircases – which one of the is a spiral set – and three plate glass windows lined together as a wall that looks off to the ocean." Marge hands a picture of the house to her. It looks pretty good, roomy, vast, clean, isolated. So far Miley likes it. "Oh, and it also has a small dock-ish porch that leads out to the beach. It's pretty sweet."

"Whoa," Miley skimmed over the pictures and reviews of the house. "This house…it's called 'Full House'? Why?"

Marge shrugged and finished drinking up her coffee. "C'mon, we have to go. We don't want you to be late. You have to change into Hannah right now, let's go." Marge left her cup on Stan's desk and wished him adieu. Stan did the same.

"Miley, honey. Please, you have to control yourself next time, okay? I trust in you to stop this nonsense very soon?"

Miley stood up and picked up her Hannah case she brought with her. "Yes sir. I'll be sober up in New York, you can count on that!" she winked.

"I bet you will, now have a good time over there!" Miley clicked the door shut and walked over to her personal fitting room.

Time to change? Yea right. It's time to party.

----------

"Okay, everything is set. You have your tickets, your baggage, your purse," Jackson stated. Then his mouth started to quiver and he brought his arms around the young blonde woman. "Oh my god, my little girl is growing up!"

"Jackson," Lilly slapped his arm, "let go of me, you're making a big fuss." A family of five looked at them weirdly. "Hey how's it goin', heh. Jackson, let go of me!" she seethed to his ear.

After a good three minutes, Jackson finally let go. "I'm sorry, but…it's just…Oh come here."

Lilly put a hand on his chest before he could hug her again. "Okay, Jackson, they're calling my flight. I'll miss you." This time Lilly hugged her close friend gently and he hugged back gently. "Make sure to water the plants, 'kay? And make sure to keep the house clean, since you love to clean it so much," she laughed.

Jackson gulped and tears nearly sprung. "I-I'm sorry. Here, take this. You're gonna need it." He took out his wallet and handed three hundred and seventy dollars to her.

"Jackson! I can't take that! I already have enough money. I'm thinking you're gonna need it more than me." Lilly teased, "Man, I never knew you had that much money in there, dang. Why'd you need thirty bucks from me then?"

The young man clenched his jaw. "Just take it, okay? Stop being so stubborn! Here, take it, spend it on something useful." Lilly stared at him and eventually took it from his hands. "Good, now come here. Give me one more hug."

Lilly sniffed and mumbled to his shoulder. "Why are you being all emotional now? It's not like I'm leaving for good. I'm going on vacation for a whole week! We'll see each other by then, right?" She pushed him away in arm's length and wiped her eyes.

"Ok, we should stop this," the boy sniffed. "Listen, if any hobo stalks you, remember the trick I showed you a few years ago –"

Lilly nodded. "I know, I know; chop off his balls and poke his eyes."

Both laughed. "Good, because you're like my lil' sis. My other lil' sis, I mean."

"Ok." The final announcement for Lilly's flight was called and it was time for her to go. "Alright! Wish me luck! I'll see ya later! I'll call you when I get there!" Lilly started to walk in to the separate room. She waved and he waved back with a sad smile.

Sighing, he put his hands in his pockets and walked away. This is not a bad mistake. I'm not doing this for a bad thing. It's a good thing. Everyone will be happy, except for Lilly. She'll kill me when she comes back. No, stop it. I'll explain everything to her once she gets back; I'm sure she'll understand, I mean, she's Lilly.

God, please tell me I'm doing the right thing.

----------

"I'm sorry, Miley, I didn't know that the captain would reject at the last minute! It seems like the president is a lot more important than an international pop star promoting her movie and CD." Marge stood in line with Miley as Hannah Montana in tow at the first class line to New York.

"Marge, you are so lucky that there are people around, or else I would kill you now," the faux blonde grimaced. Families and workers gasped and pointed to the singer. Some took pictures and some others who were rushing to get by to the economy line stopped instantly to point and stare.

"Is that really her?"

"Duh, I mean, look! Her outfit, the one glove thing, her sparkly sneakers, and that stringy, yet gorgeous blond hair!"

"No way, she wouldn't stand in line for an airplane ticket! She would've been on her private jet by now!"

"Mommy! Mommy! Look it's Hannah Montana!"

Well, she thought deeply in her mind, at least no one's chasing her. "God, where's security when you need them?"

"Chill, it's not like they're grabbing you and chasing you." Marge stepped up and they were next in line.

"Why did you say that out loud? Now you're gonna jinx it!" Miley sighed. "Knock on wood, hello!"

"Wow. Just wow, Miley. I can't believe you'd think of something like that."

"Excuse me, Ms. Montana?" a little voice came from underneath. Miley rolled her eyes; thank god she was wearing sunglasses. "Hi, um, can I have your autograph?" Oh no, not now! If she signs this one, then that means everyone else will come over and ask for a signed autograph and a picture with her. C'mon, Marge, do something! Miley nudged her shoulder from behind.

"Oh, you're such a cute little girl! Now, Hannah, why don't you sign the little girl's book," Marge smirked and nudged her back. Miley raised her eyebrows in alarm and lowered her sunglasses to glare at her.

_That's what you get for goofing off, girly._

_You sneaky little bitch, you better watch your back now. You better know how to sleep with your eyes open_, their thoughts communicated silently.

With no other choice, Miley exhaled her breath quietly and crouched down next to the small little girl. "Hi!" she exclaimed a bit too cheekily. "Sure you can!" Miley took the notebook 'gently' from the young girl's grasp and signed a quick 'HM' across the paper with a big heart and an 'xoxo' as usual.

"Wow…Is-is it ok that I can take a picture with you?" Miley, once again with no choice, nodded creakily. "Yay! You are the bestest person I have ever met!" Miley smiled to the camera, which she thought that it was the girl's mother who was taking the picture.

"Thanks so much, you've made my little girl happy again!" The mother said as they went back to their luggage cart. Great, now what? Oh look! Billions of people started to line up as the little girl who asked first left.

"Marge," she sighed. "I hate doing this!"

"Hey, don't look at me. They're your fans; they're the ones giving you their money! Remember that."

"And I'm paying you with their money, too. So shut up," Miley pursed her lips as she smiled to the camera for the fifteenth fan in a row.

"Next!" an employee called from behind the counter.

Oh thank the lord! "Sorry guys, but I've gotta jet. Thanks for your support!" She grabbed the red-head's arm. "C'mon, we need to go now."

After a long thirty-five minutes of ordering and buying first class tickets, Miley heaved her purse and Hannah box with her to the loading zone. "Sweet nibblets, I never knew how long it takes to buy and load stuff."

Marge scoffed while Miley grumbled. "I can't believe I have to sit next to these middle-high class people. They're so snobby nowadays."

Marge muttered something under her breath but quickly shut up. "What?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. Here are our seats. I'll get the window." Marge put her belongings up to the trunk above them and Miley did the same.

"Why do people keep on staring at me, it's getting annoying." Miley finally sat down and leaned her seat back and savored the leg room. "Alri –"

"Excuse me Miss, but this seat is reserved for someone else. I'll have to give you a different seat." A flight attendant with the passenger behind her bowed down next to her and smiled sweetly to her. "Please, let's move over here."

"Crazy flight attendant say what? I'm sorry, but I have a ticket that says that this is my seat, see?" Miley ripped out her ticket and pointed to the seat number.

"I'm sorry, but this is incorrect. I'm sorry Miss, but you will have to move." Miley gaped at her then turned quickly to her manager.

"You are the _worst_ manager in the history of worst managers in the world!" Miley huffed and stood up, grabbed her stuff from the trunk and followed the blue uniformed woman to her next seat.

"Here is your seat and enjoy your flight to New York. Just dial this number if you need anything, thank you." And with that helpful greeting, she quickly walked away towards the economy cabin.

Sighing harshly, she hit her head back against the head cushion. "What (hit) the (hit) hell (hit) is (hit) wrong with me (hit, hit, hit, then a special un-rhythmic foot stomp with a ruthless squeeze against the arm rest)!"

"Oh my god." Oh no, not now! "You're Hannah Montana!" Give me a break! Just kill me now, kill (hit) me (hit) now.

The plane started to shake as it started to speed up along the runway. "Oh my god, it's shaking! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"

The young woman's grasp around her wrist started to cut her blood circulation. She tried to yank it away, but the woman holds it even tighter.

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen, you are now free to roam around the cabin. You may unbuckle your seatbelts now."

Miley pulled off her arm from the grasp and seethed. Who the hell does that woman think she is? Just when Miley thought there could be peace and silence, this woman can't help but not shut the fuck up!

"I'm so sorry about before. It's just that it's my first time riding an airplane since my school trip to D.C…Anyways, my name's Lilly Truscott, and I'm a _huge_ fan of yours. I love your song –"

"Yea, yea, I heard it all before. You like my song, da-da-da, and you listen to it every single day of every single moment." Miley took her blindfold and put it around her head. "And blah, blah, blah, thanks for listening to my songs. Now can we just rest? Thank you."

Lilly knitted her eyebrows together and was taken by surprise. My-oh-my, someone's being a little bit hissy. Lilly scooted back into her seat and folded her newspaper into fourths and slid it in the pouch in front of her.

Now I know why she's always in these controversies every single week. She deserves it because of that, sheesh, just appreciating her work. Since when is that a such crime?

----------

The door bell rang and he rushed up to open the sliding door first than the main front door. He stopped, though, right when his hand gripped the door handle. This was the right choice right? He's only trying to save himself from the notorious groups. He needed this, his sister needed this. It's a win-win…and lose situation. Losing a best friend was the last thing he wanted, but did he really have any other choice?

He opened the door and welcomed the guest with a charming smile. "Hello, thanks for coming. My name's Jackson Stewart and I'll be giving you a quick tour of the house that you will be buying today."

----------

Already into the second hour of the five hour long journey to New York, Lilly's stomach was grumbling. She would've asked earlier, but she fell asleep and her ears felt weird all plugged up and stuff.

"Hi, can I have some food?" Lilly asked, reaching over to whisper to the attendant, not wanting to disturb the singer next to her.

"Sure, do you want lunch or dinner?" The blue uniformed lady took out two menus. Lilly eyed both but picked the dinner one instead. "Our dinner special is filet mignon with green beans and our special sauce. The other is a special halibut grilled to the crisp –"

"I'll have both specials, please, thank you." The attendant bowed her head and walked back to the small kitchen area. When the lady in uniform said all of that, her mouth literally started to water.

"Oh, god, I need food now." Lilly laid her head back and glanced over to the pop star singer right sleeping right next to her. Wow, sleeping for two hours straight, she must've been partying like crazy last night then. The blindfold looked like it was suffocating her cheekbones and Lilly was tempted to fix it for her, but a few moments later, the specials came and Lilly's mouth watered. What the hell, she could wait…

By the time Lilly was all done with her dinner, Hannah woke up and Lilly was completely stuffed.

"Oh my god, never in my life will I eat like that again…"

"Ugh, what is that smell?" Miley took off her blindfold and stretched out her face. "It smells like…"

"It's filet mignon and grilled halibut. I swear, I always wonder how they make the food on the plane. But then again, I'd rather not. I hate it when people tell me that the food I ate was artificially made. Yuck." Lilly levered her seat back and propped her legs up. "Now this is the life…Hey! That's just like from your song. _This is the life, hold on tight. This is the dream_ –"

"Please, for our sake, please stop singing." Miley rolled her eyes and walked her way to the restroom.

"Geez, what's up with her and her bitchy mood?" Lilly mumbled herself to sleep.

"Excuse me, how long until we finally reach Kennedy?" Miley asked to one of the attendants.

"Only for three and half more hours."

"Thanks." Sighing, Miley stomped back to her seat next to blabbermouth Barbie and closed her eyes. She was totally not expecting this. Canceled flight from her private jet, another tabloid in the national's top-selling newspapers, and in just a few more hours, she has to go to the hotel to check in then go straight to Times Square for a stinking movie promo. Then the next day she has a concert at the same place and a morning interview with Good Morning America, The Today Show, and an afternoon interview with David Letterman. And for the whole day the next day, she has to do a CD signing at Virgin's _and_ a photoshoot for a magazine. When will she ever get a break?

Once I move into that new place, I'm so taking a break on the pop star life.

----------

"Excuse me Miss, but we have arrived. It's time to leave now." Lilly moaned and smacked her lips. Yawning, she subconsciously folded up the blanket and put it on the empty seat next to her. Wait, empty?

"Oh crap. How long was I asleep?" But before the woman could reply, Lilly grabbed her stuff from the trunk above and sped off the plane. Rushing inside, she grabbed her luggage and double-checked her stuff. "Ok, purse, wallet, baggage, extra backpack…" Lilly pulled out a bright neon pink handbag under her own purse she meshed together. On it was a patch with a Louis Vuitton brand and a customized 'HM' lettering right on the middle. Lilly gaped at the sight of the bag she held in her hands. "Oh my god, Hannah Montana's purse! Oh my god, oh my god."

What should she do with it? Lost and found station? No, she's lost herself, so she can't exactly find a lost and found station now. She turned her head once she heard shrieks that could break her eardrums.

"I love you, Hannah!!!" They screamed and screamed as Hannah was in the middle of at least more than fifteen huge bodyguards that made their way out to the front. Lilly, who quickly took her stuff and grabbed her belongings, ran over to where the mosh-pit was happening.

"Wait! Wait!!! I have your purse! Oof! Hey let go of me! Hey! I have something that belongs to her!" One of the bigger security guards of the airport lifted her up and dropped her to a bench. "Hey, wait a sec! I have her – oh forget it. It's pointless." She walked back to get her scattered baggage and walked outside to hail for a taxi.

Luckily, she got one after five minutes of being outside. "Grand Hyatt Hotel please." During the ride, she rummaged through Hannah's ginormous Louis Vuitton handbag. Whoa, a Sidekick, iPhone, and lots of make-up. Damn, talk about 'natural' beauty. She took out a small black notebook that had several phone numbers and important dates. It turns out she was also planning on staying at the Grand Hyatt for a whole business week then back to Malibu to check out a brand new house. Huh, interesting…Lilly thought she would've had something more intriguing like party favors and such, but then she thought that every famous celebrity needs their fair share of privacy.

Skimming through the pages, something fell out and scrambled out on the floor. "Oops." Lilly picked them up carefully without crumbling them. One by one, she observed the Kodak pictures. Most of them had a mid-aged woman with long beautiful brown hair. In each picture she was either horseback riding on a horse or smiling genuinely to the camera while doing something. She seemed like a nice person to be with. All the other pictures had a young girl that looked just like the older woman. They looked extremely close together. Lilly wondered what they were doing in the singer's notebook.

One last picture had one with the whole family, Lilly guessed. One red-headed grandma, who was standing next to a big round balding man, was glaring at another woman who had the most outrageous hairstyle and a big bust, while the other side had the young brunette from the previous pictures and then there was another girl who looked exactly like her, only except she was wearing cat-eyed glasses. Lilly wondered why there was never a picture of the two identical brunettes together.

There was another set of twins, but only older and they were both mid-aged men with bob-like hair. One was wearing a polo shirt with faded jeans while the other was wearing cowboy attire. Wow, even twins could be complete opposites, Lilly thought. Then to finish it off, there was the older brunette from the previous pile of pictures who was holding, from what looks like to Lilly, a ten-year old boy with dirty blonde hair with natural light blonde highlights. Lilly brought the picture closer to her to scan the picture slowly. The young boy looked oddly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on who it really is. Darn the stupid lighting; why is it so dark now? It's only 4 o'clock – Oh, never mind. Lilly almost forgot about the sudden time change from Pacific to Eastern Time zones. Wow, I feel stupid.

Eighteen miles later, they finally arrived in front of Grand Hyatt Hotel. Lilly paid her fare and took her belongings into the giant hotel. As she walked in, she felt particularly small. The lobby was _huge_. People of business, families, and couples of all sorts bustled to and fro. Heels and sneakers squeaked and clicked along the marbled tile floors. Children ran along the many stairs and escalators, while their parents sat and talked next to the many structures planted in the middle of the lobby.

"If you're gonna go in, then go in; no need to block the entrance, lady," a rough voice came from behind her.

She snapped out of her trance and turned around to see people glaring at her. "Oh, s-sorry, didn't mean to. I-I just –"

"Yea, yea, just move it!"

Lilly gasped and stomped her way towards the counter. "Geez, lousy attitudes much?" she muttered. A few moments later, she was up next and called for her reserved room. "Hi, my name's Lilly Truscott and I reserved a room here until Monday."

"Okay, just a second." Lilly tapped the counter with her nails and whistled under her breath. From the corner of her eye, she saw a big blob of white light and heard screams like she was back in the airport. She turned around to see signs being waved above everyone's heads. Lilly tried to make out what it read, but she knew who it was addressed to: Hannah Montana.

"Excuse me, Ms. Truscott, here's your room key. It's up on the twenty-eighth floor. Do you need a bellboy?" Lilly shook her head, distracted by the flashing lights going on. "Okay then. The elevators are just straight down the lobby, and just turn right once you reach the end. Thank you and I hope you enjoy your stay here at Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York."

Once again, Lilly nodded absent mindedly and pulled her luggage and held her purse and Hannah's purse with her along the way. Should she go up and tell Hannah that she has her purse? Yea right, as if she wants to get sucker punched in the gut again. She should wait until tomorrow. Yawning, she walked to the end of the lobby until a small kid blocked her way and ran right into her stomach. Either way, Lilly did get punched in the gut again.

The young blonde tourist groaned and dropped the bags she was holding in front of her. "Damn it, stupid parents; they should watch their kids where they're going. God, that kid's like a freakin' bull!" She knelt down and gathered the things that fell out from her own and the celebrity's purse.

"Need help with that?" Two Van shoes came into her view and a deep yet gentle voice came from above. The person crouched down and Lilly looked up to see who this charming young man might be.

"Yea," she smiled back. "Yea, that would be great, thanks."

He nodded. Lilly thought it would be weird to wear a Nor-Cal cap with Ray-Bans inside a building, especially when it's dark outside. Oh well, he must be sensitive to light. After everything was all put in order, she thanked the stranger.

"You're welcome, just be more careful next time." The man lowered his sunglasses and winked to her. His voice sounded similar to – Then Lilly gaped.

"You-you-you-you're J-J –"Of course, it all made sense; the disguise and his voice and his dirty blonde hair hidden beneath the cap! But he stopped her by shushing her. He nodded quietly and winked to her again.

"Take care," he waved and walked to where Hannah was just bombarded by fans. Lilly could not believe it. Today was really a special day.

First, her best friend comes over to surprise her and clean her house _spotless_, which he then gives her an all-expense paid trip to New York in the one of the best hotels in the state, front row tickets and backstage tickets to see Hannah Montana, then not only does she get to see Hannah on stage and behind the scenes, but also to sit next to her in first class. And then, as if that isn't enough, she gets helped by the one and only Jake Ryan.

Oh my god. I think I'm going to faint.

And that she did.

* * *

**I sense more drama coming your way. Any thoughts? Leave them here!**


	3. Chapter 2

**I'm tired. I'm sorry for the long wait. I've been in SoCal (like I've said in the last chapter) for a whole week and I came back Sunday evening. So...This chapter was a bitch. I wrote half of it before I went down south, then wrote the rest when I came back. ~sigh~ Anywho, brand new chapter, who's happy? It's a bit longer this time. Sorry for the lack of Liley, but you have to remember, this is an AU. So they don't know each other. Yet. They have to gradually get to know each other, right? Isn't that how everyone meets for the first time?**

**Oh yea, since this is an AU, Lilly and Miley are in their Twenties. Let's say early Twenties?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters, the creators do. Constructive criticism is great and remember to leave a reivew!**

**P.S: I stayed over in Burbank for a few days and I passed by Walt Disney Studios. OMG. I was like, "Hey, that's where they do HM, Suite Life, and Wizards!" (I'm pretty sure they do their shows their right?) Also I passed by Toluca Lake (of course, if you're a fan of Miley, you should know where she lives in Cali. It's like the Disney neighborhood there), which was awesome. Try saying "Toluca Lake" ten times faster; it's so addicting, lol.**

**P.S.S: I'm sorry if you hate boring beginnings, but I have to put them in my story so I can set it up. So bear with me if you want some Liley, kay?**

* * *

The tires from the long slick limousine squealed to its screeching stop in front of Times Square Plaza. The tinted glass protected her eyes and ears from the shouts and flashing bulbs being taken outside. For the first time in her Hannah Montana life, she felt safe from the outside world.

Too bad it only lasted for three seconds. The door clicked open and a loud buzz and clicks began to take over her eardrums.

"Hannah, over here! Smile to the camera –"

"No, over here! Hey Hannah! Say –"

Miley sighed under her breath let everyone's pleading go right past her. She waved when her fans screamed to her and smiled and posed to the flashing cameras taking her pictures. Many reporters wearing name tags and passes around their necks asked for a moment with Hannah. Of course, her lovely manager nodded sweetly and pulled her to a 'few' reporters for a 'few' questions.

"So, Hannah, new movie already?" he-or-she reporter in suit asks in every start of the interview. Hannah nods warmly as she smiles and he-slash-she reporter resumes. "So tell us, what is this movie about?"

The pop star summarizes, "The movie is about two star-crossed lovers way back in the 1950s. It's kinda like a Romeo and Juliet theme, but it's more of a bluesy musical type."

"And your co-star, Chace Crawford—whom you have acted with before—plays as your lover?" Just like before, Hannah nods amiably. "Is he really a good singer like he says he is?" they joke.

Hannah laughs, "Of course! He's a great guy and it's been an honor to work with him again."

"So are you and Chace dating? It seems like you guys are extremely close nowadays."

And as trained, she replies, "Ah, we're just good friends. I can trust him and he can trust me. We respect each other, and that's enough for the both of us." Inside her head, she laughs at the tangent of the response.

And of course they're favorite question–which usually comes out of nowhere, "What about the recent tabloid? What happened with the JoBros?"

But before the reporter could finish the interview, Marge pulls her away to a different reporter along with Chace by her side. Hannah waves off to them as they sigh in disappointment. Thank you, Marge, she mouths to her.

Interview after interview, pose after pose, smile after smile, Miley felt like she was going to collapse right then and there. Thank god people were starting to file out.

"Marge, can we just go now?" Miley scratched an irritating itch on her scalp. Damn wig's gonna give her a head rash again. Her red-headed manager shook her head. "Aw, c'mon! I've done everything else, what am I supposed to do now at," –she checked her watch–"eleven thirty-three at night?"

"Just one more interview with E! News inside the building and we're done." Marge yawned as she led Miley inside and let the security block out the paparazzi. Once they arrived to the right floor, they saw Chace and his girlfriend and Ryan Seacrest was set sitting down on a tall bench right across from two other tall benches. Marge led Miley straight to the make-up booth and the make-up artist got her ready in seconds.

"Hey, Hannah, how's it going? It's great to have you back here again!" The talk show host exclaimed as she shook both Marge's and Miley's hands. Both girls returned the welcome. "Great! So this interview will be just like the others: just quick answers about what the movie is about and what you guys did behind the cameras, and so on and so on. You know how it goes, right?"

Miley smiled as the talk show host and nodded. She couldn't wait to get this over with. Walking over to where Chace and Ryan were, she gave them each a hug as the video director counted down to the final take.

"Hey and welcome to E! News. Here we are with the charming Chace Crawford and the lovely Hannah Montana to talk about their movie that's coming up soon." Miley took in a deep breath through her nose. Just a couple more minutes, Miley, you got it. "So, Chace…"

----------

Finally, after waiting in the elevator for it to go up to the twenty-eighth floor, Lilly took a right and went straight to find her room. Her back felt like it was going to snap in half since she stuffed in Hannah's purse in the small black High Sierra backpack. Her hand felt like it was going to chop off since her purse's handles were starting to dig into her flesh. And not only do her back and arms feel limp, but her feet were _killing_ her. She should've known that wearing a pair of flats wouldn't be a smart idea, but hey, can you blame a girl for wanting to look fashionable in first class?

Taking out her key card, she slots it in and waits for the door to beep. Once it did, she swung it open and the smell of a fresh-made bed was inviting her to lie down on it. She dropped her stuff on the floor and closed the door softly behind her. Sighing softly, she walked lazily to the single queen bed that laid smack dab on the middle of the floor. She slammed down face first and breathed in the crisp, clean scent.

"Ah," the blond rolled to her back. Who knew all of this could happen to her? She took the remote from the bedside table and pointed it to the flat screen TV hanging on the wall. Of course, that was expected from a four-star hotel. As the thirty-two inch HDTV clicked on and the sound of hotel advertisements filled the room, Lilly walked over to the refrigerator to see if there was any food inside. She shouldn't have doubted one bit; the small white box was filled from top to bottom. Right next to it was a desk table with a nice black office chair, and on the table was a small black microwave. A wireless phone was sitting on the middle next to a bunch of notepads and complimentary Hyatt pens.

"Oh! Forgot to call Jackson!" Quickly, she sat down on the black swivel chair as it bounced back and forth when she did so and dialed her friend's number. As the tone rang once, Lilly thought back about what had happened in the lobby. It had happened so fast, she nearly forgot what actually did happen to her. She couldn't believe it; two celebrity encounters in one day! And one of them helped her! Now that surprised her the most. Lilly leaned back against the chair and winced. Maybe collapsing against the marbled floor wasn't such a good idea.

A loud beep coming from her right ear surprised her. "The number you are looking for is no longer available. Please re-dial the number correctly again." Huh, that's weird. She was pretty sure that 435-023-9728 was Jackson's home phone. Oh well, maybe bad connection. Lilly then dialed his cell phone. Again it beeped, but this time, it reached his voice mail.

"Hey Jackson, it's Lilly. I tried calling your apartment, but they said it wasn't available. You might want to check on that, it's kinda weird. Anyways, I'm finally calling from the hotel! Oh my gosh, thanks so much for giving me these tickets! They are amazing! I so can't wait for the concert tomorrow night! Oh, and speaking of Hannah Montana, guess what? She sat next to me in first class! I know! How cool is that! Too bad she was a bit grumpy. I wonder what bit her this time. Oh wait, maybe this time the 'lovebug' bit her again." Lilly laughed shortly after she made her joke. "Y'know, Jonas Brothers, Lovebug? Anywho, the hotel is _ah-mazing_! The lobby's freaking _huge_! Oh and guess what? Hannah's also staying here, too! Oh, and another thing about Hannah, she left her purse in the airplane and I got it by accident. Isn't this so cool? Wow, this is a lot to take in." Lilly paused, took in a breath and resumed. "Oh, and you wanna know what else is cool? I saw _the_ Jake Ryan at the hotel lobby. And you know what's even cooler? Okay, so some kid rammed into me and I dropped a whole bunch of stuff. Shut up if you're laughing, that wasn't the cool part. Although it really did hurt when he head butted into my stomach…Anyways, after I dropped the stuff, guess who helped me picked them up? _Jake Ryan_!" Lilly squealed into the phone. "Sorry, didn't mean to do that. Sorry if I hurt your ear. Can you believe it? I can hardly believe it myself! Oh god…" Sighing, she walked over to the bed and lay down.

"So what's up? How come you aren't picking up? It's only ten thirty here," she glanced to the clock above the desk. "Well, call me back next time, 'kay? I'm tired now so I'm gonna head out," she yawned as she sat up. "I'll talk to ya later, bye!" Lilly put down the phone back on its charger and made her way to her belongings. She stared at her now opened backpack and Hannah's purse that was slowly creeping out. Part of her wants to find out more about the mid-aged brunette and the younger looking brunette and who the ten-year old boy really did look like, but part of her felt like it wasn't right to go into people's belongings if it's meant to be private. Lilly thought about this for awhile and tapped her foot.

"What the hell; might as well take a shower first, then I'll think about it."

Lilly felt like she was mostly likely going to snoop into the singer's Louis Vuitton hand bag again.

----------

"Again, Miley, I didn't know it would take _that_ long," Marge apologized for what seems like the umpteenth time. "Really, I didn't know! I mean, geez, for guys, Chace and Ryan really do know how to talk and talk and talk!" Miley glared at her, meaning that she should shut up or else. "Ok, I'll just shut up now."

The tired singer leaned back to her cushioned seat. They were waiting for Phil the driver to come back with their super late night meal from McDonald's. Good thing Phil knew a lot about New York, or else they would've been bombarded by fans now if they weren't hiding in a secret lot.

"Ugh, I feel like shit. Which interview is first?" her voice warbled when she tried to hold back her yawn. Marge gave her the binder that had Hannah's complete schedule. "Oh my god, I have to be up at five in the morning? Marge, it's like one in the morning now! I'll only have four hours of sleep!" Miley shook her head in disapproval. Marge shrugged as she yawned and propped her head against the cool tinted window.

The driver's door clicked open and the light in the back seats lit up. "Okay, ladies, sorry for the long wait. Here's your food, enjoy." Phil handed a tray with two plastic cups filled with water and two paper bags that smelled like heaven to Miley.

"Oh my god, thanks so much Phil, you are a lifesaver." She grumbled down her meal quickly and the three minute journey to the hotel began.

It felt longer, though, to Miley. She put her wig back on walked back into the front lobby where the small waterfall still ran and filled the silence in the front entrance. Marge followed suit as they made their way to the staircase to go to their personal suite.

Miley felt like she could just sleep right there on the carpeted floor, but who'd want to open their hotel door and see a pop star's body lying on the ground? She herself wouldn't want to. So, half-asleep, she dragged her feet all the way to the elevator.

"Oh god, I forgot, what floor are we in?" Miley asked sluggishly.

Marge laughed pathetically as her eyes drooped. "Thirty-fourth."

Miley would've been yelling by now, but she had no energy left. Hesitantly, she pressed the thirty-fourth button and it glowed to a dull yellow. "Oh…my…god," she muttered. It felt like hours until she finally reached the right level. "Which room are we?"

"Last one to the right, the huge one."

"'Kay," she yawned and took off her wig. Who cares? It's not like some random fan was actually awake now. And plus she has a suite, so she's all to herself now. Finally, they made it and Marge opened the door with the key card. Miley opened her eyes and rubbed them. In front of her looks like a big blob of black, but it must've been a hallucination. Whatever, she could just sleep like this now. She'll take a shower tomorrow morning.

"Hey, babe, how's it goin'?" That voice sounded really familiar. Too familiar...Oh no –

"Jake!" the brunette half-whispered half-yelled. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were back in –"

The boy opened his arms and Miley walked into them. "Jersey?" he finished for her. "Well, I was, but I came here because I wanted to surprise you," he said softly.

"Really?" she yawned loudly. "Oh, sorry. I'm just" –yawn– "a lil' bit tired. Thanks for comin' over and stuff, but can we talk about this later?" she murmured into his shoulder. "I have to get up in, like, four hours…"

Jake set her and himself on the bed. "Yea, we'll talk later. You just rest now, 'kay?"

Miley snuggled closer to the young man and smiled into his embrace. "'Kay."

----------

Morning came around and Lilly jolted to a fiery start. She put away the photos and the black notebook back into the expensive hand bag and placed it inside her suitcase to keep it safe. She still has no idea who the boy looked like and it was starting to bug her.

"I swear," she thought out loud, "that boy looks so damn familiar…" She took out her morning appliances and set her clothing apparel for the day out on the bed. Water ran non-stop for an hour and a half and Lilly was set at last. She took her backpack and moved everything from her purse to her black pack.

"Okay, wallet, camera, extra money, ID, cap, backpack…What else am I missing?" Lilly walked around the room, making sure she didn't leave anything valuable out in the open. "Oh! Cell phone! Almost forgot the most important thing!" Then Lilly left a ten dollar tip on the bedside and patted everything else, just so everything is set.

The door beeped to a soft close and Lilly was set. "Okay, now off to visit Midtown!"

----------

"Hmm…" Miley felt like she was in a dream. Someone big and strong was holding her and was whispering sweet nothings to her ear. Her body moved on its own and cuddled to the thing that was holding her closely. "Don't leave now…"

"I won't," it whispered back.

Right when Miley was about to open her eyes to see his blue-green eyes, the door swung open harshly and Miley sat up quickly, knocking the boy's head with her own. Good thing she didn't feel a thing.

"Miley, you are thirty-five minutes late! Get ready _now_." Marge left the room in an awkward silence after that for only five seconds.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Jake, but I have to go now. Shit, shit, shit, I'm late! Crap!"

"Oh, just wear sweats of something; I already sent the clothes you're gonna wear to all three interviews to their places. Now, hurry! Put on your wig! The security's trying to keep this on the DL!" Marge slammed the door and finally left the two alone.

Jake sighed, not knowing what to do, except accept the fact that his girl is too busy for him. But still, he should try to understand, right? He used to this kind of stuff before.

"Nah, it's ok, really. Just go, I'll sneak out later on. Now go, you're late." Miley stared into his eyes, but only to see his expressionless face. "Just go, Miley."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry." Miley ran into the bathroom and changed into a pair of baggy sweats and a loose and faded UT hoodie in record time. She took the blonde wig from the bed and put it on. "I'm really sorry Jake." He nodded as he waved her to the door. "Call or text?" This time, he didn't say or do anything. Miley frowned, "'Kay then, I'll see you later, bye."

Sometimes, Miley wished she had never picked this life and should've just gotten onto the easy road.

----------

Lilly whistled to a taxi and the yellow car screeched to a full stop next to her. A few people stared at her, astonished how a little woman could be so, well, loud. Lilly, on the other hand, smiled at her success and hopped into the cab.

"Um, I've never been here before, so could you give me a quick tour to until you could reach this place," Lilly took out a brochure that had a tourist bus.

"Sure, sure," the taxi man assured her with his strong New York accent. "Just strap on and hold on tight. You're in for a ride."

Lilly grinned and made herself comfortable in the back seat. It smelt like ashtrays, just like the last taxi she took to get to the hotel. Must be some New York taxi trademark or something, she thought.

As the driver chauffeured her through the busy streets of one of the busiest districts in New York, Lilly rolled down her window and took pictures of passing statues, buildings and street people.

"So, lil' girl, do you like what I'm showing you right now?"

"Uh-huh," Lilly approved absent mindedly. "Do you any good local restaurants around here?" The driver nodded and turned left quickly. "Thanks!" Lilly looked at the fare machine set on top of the dashboard. Fifty-six dollars already? Lilly nearly spat out the water she was drinking. She checked her wallet and counted a hundred and fifty-five in there. She still had enough, but she would need to cut the trip short and save the rest of the money Jackson gave her for the rest of the days she was going to stay in New York.

"Um, excuse me sir, after the trip to the restaurant, could you possibly drive me back to the hotel?" she asked as she eyed the fare machine ticking higher and higher by the second. "Can you please make it quick?"

"Sure, sure, we're here anyways." They stopped in front of a local old-fashioned diner with many cars piled up around it in the parking lot. "Betsy's is the best diner ever. Order their omlettes; they are the best." Lilly nodded as she got out of the car. She asked if he would stay here for a moment until she was done and the balding taxi driver waved her away.

"Well," she muttered under her breath, "I'll just order to go and everything will go quickly.

Twenty-five minutes later, Lilly got out of the crowded diner and piled back into the cramped and stuffy yellow cab. "The food there is amazing! I got to go left so I can eat it later on in the hotel and what the hell?!"

"Huh? What?" The driver turned around with a cigarette in mouth. He blew a puff in front of her face and Lilly coughed as she fanned the smog on her face.

"You left the meter running? Wha-How-Wh – You were supposed to shut that off! Then I could've paid you separately, right?"

"Aha, no Miss, no can do. No breaks. Hope you have enough money," he winked and started the engine. The music blasted with the Beatles or something with the oldies and Lilly scurried through her backpack.

Crap. Crap, I am so dead. She quickly lost her appetite and took out her wallet. What the hell, she thought. Last time she looked up to the fare was fifty-six then two hours later it got up to ninety-three and thirteen cents and counting? This did not make any sense. She only had a hundred and fifty and the rest was just for emergency. Thank god for Jackson being thoughtful.

Honks from all around her made her head shoot up and look around what was happening. Shit, she thought. Just what I needed: a traffic jam.

----------

Miley felt like her body was going to collapse as she made her way through the shrieking fans piling on her outside of the CBS studio from David Letterman's Late Night Show. Her ear plugs nearly came off when the security guards pushed her in the black SUV. When she did sit down in the leather seats, she didn't even bother to put on her seat belt. She could trust Philip after he gave her the late night meal early this morning. Her mouth was sore from 'laughing' and 'giggling' at David's attempt at jokes. How can people bear the same jokes being thrown at repetitively?

Her light-blue shadowed eyelids felt heavy as she sat in the very back row of the car and laid herself down. Her legs, hands, head –everything– felt numb. Her breathing was long and deep and she took her time to let her throbbing head to stir for a bit until the car went to a slow start.

"Miley, you can rest now, but for only a few minutes," her manager's voice chimed into her ears. "You need to do sound check for the concert tonight. Did you forget about that?"

"No," she groaned. Her mind wasn't exactly set in place for the concert at Times Square again. All she could think about was what Jake wanted. He traveled from Jersey –for filming– to New York. It's either he actually wants to make up for real this time or he's just here to boast about his new film that will be another box office topper for a whole month. She hates him, really. Well, she tries to anyways. It's just that his suave looks and charming traits make her go head over heels for him. He's a jerk, she knows that. He's a jerk like any other movie star or pop star, but Miley just can't get rid of him out of her life. What can she do? What _should_ she do?

So much for the nap she was looking forward to.

----------

By the time they reached the front of the hotel, Lilly was panicking. "What the hell is going on? How could it be _that_ much?"

"Sorry, Miss," he smiled, "but you're gonna have to pay up." He turned his torso around and rubbed his index finger and thumb together. "Now pay up."

The blonde tourist gaped at the mid-aged bald man who was smirking at her. She did _not_ want to pay more than a hundred dollars just for a freaking taxi drive. It was not worth it. "That's-that's –"

"Just pay me now and we'll be even." Lilly sighed shakily as she gave two fifties and a ten. "Thank you!"

Lilly clenched her jaw and got her belongings together as she climbed out of the car. "Piece of motherf –"

"Oh forgot one more thing, you owe me sixty dollars more. Y'know that giving a tourist some pointers and such about the city cost some money, right? So, c'mon, pay up."

Lilly bit her lip and squeezed her backpack. The nerve of this guy, she thought darkly. Quickly, she thought up of a plan. Hopefully she'll get through it without security taking her away.

"Oh, okay then. Here you go then." Lilly took out her wallet but then switched to her Styrofoam box and conveniently threw it to the man's face through the passenger's window. "Good riddance, you con," she hurriedly sped off inside the main lobby, ignoring the man's threats of suing. A few horns honked as they passed by the scene beside them.

She took a deep breath when she reached the elevator and leaned against its wall. Well, she thought, at least I have three hundred and seventy five left. The elevator doors dinged open to her floor and she stepped out. Her stomach grumbled as her door opened. "Shut up, you stupid belly! It's 'cuz of you I had to waste a hundred dollars! Damn!"

Suddenly, her cell rang and vibrated in her pocket. She flipped it open and harshly started with a snappy hello.

"This is the second notice for yo –" An automated voice muffled through the speakers.

"Damn! Stupid telemarketers!" Angrily, she threw the phone on the bed as with herself. What can she do with only three hundred and seventy-five dollars? Not much, that's for sure. She should've known to never ask help from a New York cab driver. Especially since his car smelt like cigarette smoke and smelt like Jackson's closet.

Groaning, she crawled up to the head of the bed and pulled open the bedside shelf. She took out the bible then underneath was an envelope of Jackson's extra money. That's funny, it feels lighter. Opening it, she noticed that it was empty.

"Oh my god," her eyes bugged out, "I've been robbed." She paused, catching her breath. "Twice! What the hell?!" Frantically, she called to the main lobby and explained to them that she has been robbed by the maid. The manager eventually told her to go down and explain everything there. "Fine then. I'll be down there in five."

She got up and took the envelope in hand, which was all crumpled up now. Great, this is just oh-so-great. I've been conned and robbed on the same day. What's the worst thing that could happen next?

A few moments later, Lilly wished she had never said that because she just noticed that she only had ten dollars left in her wallet.

----------

"That was good, Miley. I mean, for your half-asleep stage, pretty good," Marge nodded. "So, we've got three and a half hours to spare, what do you want to do?" Marge set her clipboard and binder down on the table in front of them and held her head in her hands.

Miley already knew what to do; sleep. She needed sleep.

"Okay then, good night. I'll wake you up in two hours." Marge's chair screeched as she stood up and walked away. "Oops, and just to remind you, you have backstage fans that will come in, so just try and get much sleep as you can."

"Just go away, Marge, just get the hell away from me."

----------

Lilly's voice was sore from arguing back and forth with the manager and his assistant. They were so stubborn and they just won't accept the fact that a person from their staff stole money from her.

"Listen to me, okay? One of your maids stole money from me," she spelled out each word, heavily putting exaggeration on the 'me' part. "In this envelope," Lilly gripped the wrinkled paper in her fist, "you see this piece of paper here? In this piece of envelope had three hundred and seventy-five dollars. Three hundred and seventy-five _dollars_. Do you understand that? Three hundred and seventy-five is a _lot_ for me. I can buy so many things with this kind of money." She seethed as she held her fist down.

"Okay, Miss Truscott, we will find out who stole it. But you know that it is your responsibility for putting things wherever it is?" The assistant manager asked to clear out the blame against them. Lilly knew what they were doing, but she kept strong.

"Yes, I know that," the blonde eyed the manager on the phone. John was his name and the assistant's was Carla. "But your maid snooped into the bedside drawer and took out my money which was in a sealed envelope underneath the bible. So don't go blaming it on me and say it was my fault!" Lilly's face turned red and veins on her neck started to show, which is clearly not a good sign for the two employees.

Carla, whose black hair was slicked back into a low tight bun, was taken aghast and nodded slightly. John got off the phone and assured Lilly that things will work out sooner or later.

"Ms, didn't you bring a wallet with you? If you did, do you have a savings and checking account? We have an ATM station her of every bank," he offered.

Lilly tried not to blush in front of the two employees. How come she didn't even think about that? Wow, she thought. That's unbelievably stupid of me… "I do, but I have to complain that an employee snooping into my private business is not allowed. It's rude." Lilly recovered her embarrassment

"Okay then, how about this. We will question the employees who cleaned that floor and we'll question them out while you just check out your bank account and deposit some money. Deal?"

Lilly shook the man's hands. "Deal, I'll be back." She turned her heal and went to the bank station at the end of the lobby's hallway. She went to the vacant Bank of America stand and checked in her card. Impatiently, she tapped her foot and rapped her nails on the sides. The small screen beeped and blinked which mean that Lilly had to enter her number. It loaded for a few seconds but then white big bold letters flashed.

It seems that her account has been terminated.

At first Lilly scoffed and thought it was a joke the bank stand was playing on her, but of course, how could a stupid plugged in machine could pull a joke on her?

"Stupid piece of sh –" Lilly hit the machine but stopped when a little girl's voice chimed in and asked her mom what happened to the young blonde woman who was shaking the bank stand. "I'm sorry, really. It's just that my account's been reje –"

"A young woman like you shouldn't be cursing out in public," the mom humphed. "Come, Mary, let's go and leave this troubled soul alone." The brunette haired mom took her daughter by the arm and dragged her out of the room.

"Well fine then, go ahead and shun me," Lilly flipped her off. No one should ever come between Lilly and her legendary temper. She turned and whacked the stupid machine for one last time and took out her card.

"What the hell is goin' on?" she yelled to the piece of plastic. "Why are you ruining my life when it's supposed to be the greatest time of my life?!" Frustrated, she stomped her way back to the counter where John and Clara were busy on the phone lines. "Hey guess what?"

Both the man and the woman jumped and set down their phones. "Why even bother now?" Her throat itched to giggle, but she held it in. Well, at least she tried to. "Who cares about three hundred and seventy-five dollars stolen when your whole account's been rejected?!" She spat out in a maniac-like laughter and a few bystanders glanced at the sideshow. "I mean, what's left to lose, huh?" While the laughing seemed to stop, tears started to strain down from her blue eyes and her voice began to warble. "Nothing!" she initially spat at Carla, and then spelled it out to John, "No-_thing_." And with a slap on the marbled counter, she turned around to go back to her room.

When she finally arrived to her room, she nearly crawled to her now messed-up bed and laid her. For the longest time, she tried to figure out if the ceiling could give her answers. But no matter how much she tried, nothing could come through. Eagerly, she shot up and went through her luggage. She promptly took out her small black pouch and pulled out her passes for the Hannah Montana concerts that night. Her hands shook as she held them by the edges.

She thought about selling them as a vendor and get money that way, but she just noticed now that both the backstage pass and the ticket had her name imprinted in both. It scared her to think that they are expecting her to come. So, then, what should she do?

From the former of her eye, a bright pink handle precariously poked out from her suitcase. She wiped her eyes and smirked. Fate was not going to bring this girl down any time soon.

----------

Miley woke up to the smell of coffee next to her. She lifted her head up and smiled to her manager. "Wow, thanks Marge. You aren't usually this nice to me when you wake me up." She yawned and took her first sip. "This is perfect, thanks." Marge nodded and opened her binder and scribbled something on the paper.

The singer waved her hand to the side of the chair and tired to find something that's usually put there. She blinked a few times and turned her neck to see that her purse wasn't there. Unluckily for Marge, Miley spat her coffee out and sprayed her everywhere.

"Ey! What the hell?!"

"Where the hell's my purse?! Where is it?!" She set down her cup of coffee and frantically searched for her large pink purse. "Marge, help me! It has everything in there!" Miley ran around the green room and opened every single shelf and drawer.

"You mean the Louis Vuitton bag? Huh, now that you mention it, I didn't see it the whole night last night, or when we were driving away from the airport…" Marge shot her eyebrows up and Miley started to breathe heavily. Without Miley telling her what to do, the red head dialed to the airport.

After a few minutes of Miley pacing back and forth and Marge answering in short and quick answers to the phone, the brunette lost it. "This is ridiculous. I can't believe that couldn't find it! It has to be in there, it just has to be in there!"

"Miley," Marge checked the clock above the doorframe. "Stop and look at me. You have to get ready soon. More like right now. Get your act together and we'll look for your purse after the concert."

The pop star gaped. "Marge! Inside that bag has my personal stuff in there! If someone who gets it is a person desperate for money, he or she could sell me out! They could find out that I'm Miley Stewart, not Hannah Montana. That I'm just one person living two different lives! Marge, we've got to find that bag!"

Marge shook her by the shoulders. "Deep breathes Miley. Right now, just worry about the concert, okay? Time will pass by quickly and before you know it, we'll be looking for your purse again." It took a few seconds for the tall brunette to respond with only a small nod. "Good, now, go to the make-up room and wear your wig. I'll contact the airport again and I'll tell you if they have anything, okay? Do you understand me?" Miley nodded slowly once again. "Okay, now here's your wig," Marge gave her the blonde hair and finished up everything else for Miley's hairstyle in minutes. "Now go, you don't want to be late."

After her reassuring speech Miley's manager gave her, Miley walked quietly in thought all the way to the make-up and fitting room. What if the person who has her bag already did sell her out and the next morning everyone will hate her for lying to them? Or what if the person took the valuable stuff from the bag and sold it on the streets, including the Louis Vuitton bag itself? Or what if the person just threw it out and now it was sitting in the dump?

Miley choked. She didn't want this to happen. How could she forget one of her most possessed belongings in an airplane? She pinched herself for being so irresponsible. What the hell is wrong with me, she thought angrily.

She arrived at the door of where Hannah's dramatic transition to an idol in an instant. She took in a breath and opened the door.

And always as expected, the crowd of make-up artists and tailors came rushing towards her. The only thing that was in her mind was that she hoped that Jake hadn't called on her cell phone.

After a long thirty-five minutes, Miley as the international idol Hannah Montana was set. Thanking everyone who dressed her, she walked out to meet up with her back-up singers, dancers and her band. The thought of her purse being gone was still in her head, but she shouldn't let the thought of it bother her during the concert. Everyone was looking forward for this since weeks ago and finally the time came.

She and the whole crew huddled up and chanted. "We got this guys, another concert, just like always. Only this time, it's gonna be better. It's gonna be the best ever! Are we ready?!"

"Yea," they simultaneously yelled in loud bark. Miley nodded and led them out to the door which pointed out to the platform on Times Square. "Alright folks," she sighed loudly as she cracked her neck and stretched out her body and jaw. A stagehand gave her the infamous bejeweled microphone and she shook out her nerves for one last time. "It's Showtime."

----------

Lilly packed her backpack once again and, with no other choice but to walk all the way to Times Square. Having the only money she has left, she kept the ten dollars in her right jeans pocket and patted it for good luck. Walking over to the door, Lilly scanned the room once more. Her eyes adverted to where her suitcase was sitting on the floor. She smirked to herself as she walked out the room and went to the elevator. Her plan was foolproof and nothing will go wrong.

"I am one smart bitch," she smiled as the elevators slid to a close.

----------

The concert was better than Miley had expected. The city of New York closed the streets that lead to Times Square, which meant that the crowd was going to be big. And hell, was it big. Marge told her backstage that about ninety thousand people came which was about as big as the New Year's Eve event.

But the numbers of her fans was the least of her worries. Whenever she went backstage, she saw bags, purses, hand bags, literally anything with handles, Miley started to feel sick. Her stomach churned her throat became dry. Marge told her that she was still contacting Kennedy, but to no avail, they still have nothing.

"Thank you New York!! I had a great time! I'll see y'all next time! Love y'all!!" Miley went down the stairs and went to the refreshment room. Dancers jumped and skipped in joy, exclaiming that they enjoyed their night while the back-up singers chimed in beside Hannah and giggled about the fans who nearly climbed on the stage and gave the pop star a bouquet of flowers. Unfortunately for Miley, her mind was still on the bright neon pink purse that has all of her valuable possessions.

Out of nowhere, Marge pulled her aside and whispered in her ear. "Miley you have to meet up with the backstage fans now." The faux blonde nodded and they both made their way towards the general backstage area. Beads of sweat started to show on her forehead and Miley quickly wiped them off with her sleeve. She didn't know why she's acting like this all of a sudden; her breathing became labored, her palms became clammier, and her throat felt like someone was choking her. "Miley, breathe. We're going to find your purse soon enough, just chill." Again, Miley nodded, but it didn't seem like her words were coming through.

"Oh my god, there she is! It's Hannah Montana!" A moshpit of teens behind a few guards of bulky security screamed and waved their posters around. Miley refrained from rolling her eyes. Tried to, at least. Various ages from pre-teens to mid-aged people lined up for a photo and an autograph. Miley took a shaky breath and drew in a smile and waved towards the screaming teens and adults.

----------

The concert was good, Lilly thought. It would've been cooler if Hannah jumped down and ran in front of the crowd, but that would never happen. Hannah's too uptight, and Lilly has known that ever since they sat together in the airplane.

The line for Hannah's autograph went quickly and before she knew it, Lilly was next in line. "Next!" the bodyguard's deep voice boomed and shook her eardrums which gave Lilly goosebumps. Lilly smiled as Hannah waved to her and something inside her go bubbly like she was a little five year old again.

"Hi, thanks for coming to my concert!" Hannah took the picture Lilly was holding in her grasp and signed it on the table. "Did you have fun tonight?" Lilly nodded eagerly and handed her camera to a red-headed lady standing in front of them. The camera flashed and Hannah gave her a one armed hug.

Lilly took out something from her backpack and handed the singer a folded piece of paper. "Here, I have a note for you. Be sure to read it after you're done, because it's _really_ important." Hannah raised an eyebrow in suspicion and gave it Marge.

"Sure," Hannah smiled toothy. A bit too toothy for Lilly.

"Okay, thanks so much! I had a great time!" Lilly then whispered, "Be sure to read that, I'm serious." The blue-eyed blonde stared directly into Hannah's blue-gray eyes for a second which seemed longer to the singer. "Okay, I'll see you later then. Bye!" Lilly giggled as she exited and left Hannah alone with a confused look.

"Wow," she mouthed to manager. The idol thought back to what the blonde girl just said to her. I'll see you later? What did she mean by that? Did she and Marge make a deal or something?

Fifteen more fans after that, Hannah was set for the after party with her crew. This meant drinking and Miley was totally ready for this. The party lasted for awhile and a bit more longer from what Miley expected. She had a blast and Marge didn't catch her drink things she wasn't supposed to drink. When everything else was clean and put away, Miley was ready to go home.

"Hey Marge," Miley walked over to the car that was driving her home. "You remember the girl who gave me the note?" Marge nodded as she clicked in her seat belt. "Yea, did you set up an appointment with her to meet me or something? 'Cuz she said that she'll meet me later…"

Marge shrugged, "I dunno, maybe she's just another compulsive fan or something. Oh by the way, I still have the note she gave you. You wanna read it?" She offered the folded piece of paper and Miley took it from her hands.

Carefully, she opened and saw the Hyatt logo at the top of the paper. Oh, so she's also staying at the Grand Hyatt? Miley is officially creeped out now. Little bubbly handwriting was written in neat lines horizontally underneath the hotel's title. It read:

_Hannah—hey, my name's Lilly Truscott. You might have forgotten about me, but I sat next to you in first class. Anyways, to the main point. Are you missing your purse? Because I'm pretty sure that you must be looking for it. So for you information, I have it with me. And here's my proof: It's a bright neon pink Louis Vuitton bag with your initials engraved on the surface. That's yours right? So, I'll make you a deal. My cell phone number is at the bottom of the note. After you read this, call me and we'll make an appointment, kay? Thanks—Lilly_

Miley's jaw dropped and shook her head at how blunt the note was. "Oh my god, I can't believe it. Some stupid person has my bag," she muttered. "Marge, get ready, we're gonna go make a deal with a dumbass." Marge raised an eyebrow and closed her binder on her lap. "Phil, step on it; we've got to hurry."

* * *

**Poor Lilly...I hope things will go better for her. I wonder how her account got rejected. Up next, Hannah and Lilly meet up. Who's excited for that?! **


	4. Chapter 3

**Whooo! New chapter! And this time, it's going somewhere! Yay! And I read the last chapter...wow, I just noticed how terrible it is...It's so filler-ish. Yuck. Well, I'm glad we're over that part of the story, lol. This chapter will explain some of your questions, I hope.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters, the creators do. **

**P.S: TCA's tomorrow! Who's excited? (Apart from the JoBros hosting it, geez. Who cares about them, lol, jk)**

* * *

The phone rang and Lilly picked it up. "Hello?" A muffled voice came from the other side. "Kay, I'll be right up." She closed the phone on the receiver and laughed to herself. This was going to be easy as pie. Everything was going according to plan so far.

She picked up the prized bag and stuffed it in a black plastic bag. Rushing out the door, she went down the elevator, through the front lobby, up the main stairs, and went up the other elevator to the thirty-fourth floor to Hannah Montana's private suite. Lilly caught her breath when she arrived at the front of the singers big doors. "Open up, it's Lilly," she knocked.

Hannah opened up with a towel crown on her head. She was wearing a silky purple robe and Lilly greeted her with a smile. "Hey nice to meet you again!"

"Uh-huh, same here. Get in." Hannah slightly glared at her for being so discourteous. Doesn't she know who she is? "Where's my bag?"

"Right here," Lilly set down the plastic bag on the chair as it rustled down to a rest. Hannah jolted for it, but Lilly blocked it. "Wait a sec. Do you remember the note? We need to make a deal."

Sweet niblets, the nerve of this woman. Hannah sighed curtly, "Fine, let's make it quick. What do you want?"

Lilly checked her nails as she said, "Three thousand dollars."

The pop star gaped. Three thousand dollars?! What the hell was she thinking?! "What're you gonna do with three thousand?!"

Lilly took in a breath and told her story. "Look, I got robbed and scammed and my bank account's been terminated. In one whole day. I checked my account yesterday and it was completely fine. So, in two words, I'm broke. So I need money. Are you willing to trade?"

What the hell was this woman thinking? Was she on drugs or something? Getting three thousand isn't done by asking; Miley earned that money by working her ass off every day and night! "If trying to do a sob story, it ain't working. No way; deal's off." Why the hell is she so freaking blunt in front of an international pop star? It's rude!

"Okay then, I'll keep your purse." Lilly stood up and took the plastic bag and swung it over her shoulder. "Huh, maybe I should've just sold it on eBay. That would've been easier _and_ I would've gotten more money," Lilly purposely raised her voice.

The singer mentally groaned. "Fine," she snapped. Curse her for having the disadvantage. "Give me my purse first. My wallet's in there." Lilly, sitting back down on the couch facing the coffee table, dangled the black bag in front of the person standing before her. Hannah grabbed the bag from her taunting reach and glared at her.

The weight of the towel crown on her head suddenly felt heavy. "Did you go snoopin' 'round my purse?" Maybe that's why she's acting so arrogant around her; Lilly found out that she's living two different lives. Miley held her breath until the blonde answered shortly.

"I didn't. Sheesh, I don't go around and butt into people's personal business. Psh," Lilly waved it off. The singer eyed her carefully. Lilly bit her tongue. Who was she to judge so quickly? How improper of her.

Miley stayed quiet and sat down as she unzipped her beloved purse. Everything was still in there and in the right order. She checked any calls on her sidekick and found seventeen new voice messages from Jake. Miley felt sick all of a sudden. She cursed herself for being so irresponsible. Quickly, she clicked it shut and threw it aside in her bag. She shouldn't worry about her love life now. Some person, a reckless, stupid person, is openly asking for three big ones.

"Check or cash?"

"Huh?" Lilly spaced out.

"Do you want it in check or cash," Miley almost cursed. Damn her! If she wanted this so badly, she would've been attentive!

"Oh, um cash please."

Miley rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Be right back." She went to the other room where Marge was and closed the door behind her, leaving Lilly alone. Marge put down the newspaper she was reading and asked her how if the girl waiting the in other room had her purse. "Yea she does, and she's so frustrating!" Seething, she asked Marge for the key to open the desk drawer. "Freaking…god! Why the hell won't this thing open?!" Miley gave up and plopped down on the carpet floor.

"Miley, what happened?" Marge turned to face her client.

"He called. He called me seventeen times, Marge. Seventeen times. Now he's definitely not going to talk to me anymore."

The red headed woman sighed and patted the young girl's shoulder. "I'm tellin' ya, Mile," Miley perked her head up. No one's ever her called that. Not ever since she and her dad were on good terms. But that was a long time ago. "That boy is bad news." Miley suddenly had a flash of déjà vu for a moment. Her manager said it exactly the same her dad did. "Now, if he really did care for you, he would've left more than seventeen and your phone would still be ringing now, wouldn't it?" Miley nodded and got up and took the key and put it in the key slot.

The lock clicked open and Miley took out a black rectangle pouch. "Thanks Marge, I needed that," Miley offered a hug. She then took out the right amount and went out the door. Miley saw Lilly sitting cross-legged on the couch. The brunette grimaced. Who knows where those shoes have been. Miley decided she's not going to sit there anymore.

"Here you go," she shoved it in front of Lilly's face. Lilly blinked a few times. She looked back and forth to Hannah and the wad of cash she was holding.

"You actually hold three thousand dollars in cash?" Lilly didn't know whether to expect that or be surprise or find it funny.

The singer knitted her eyebrows together and huffed. "Do you want it or not?" she barked. She was sick of her arrogant and blunt attitude; it was driving her _crazy_.

"Chill, I'm taking it." Lilly took the folded wad of cash to her hands and shuffled the edges. The smell of fresh green paper sparked her senses and she stood up. "I'll see you later, bye!"

What the hell, was she expecting more from her? And she didn't even say thanks! "I don't get a thanks?" What a rude bitch.

"Hey," Lilly shrugged and turned around. "You didn't say thanks to me, so why should I say it? We're even. I gave you back your purse and you gave me my money. There, we're done. Bye!" Lilly walked out the door and closed it behind her.

Miley gaped. Oh no she didn't. She did _not_ just do that. Oh, but she did and Miley was more than peeved. She's only met her once (not counting the airplane incident, since she was sleeping most of the ride here) for merely fifteen minutes and there was something about her that made Miley so…_angry_ and impatient. She couldn't find any other adjective for the girl except for rude and stupid.

Miley sat down angrily on the opposite couch and crossed her arms. That girl (Lilly was her name) basically walked into her room and asked for three "Gs" and Miley did what she asked for. Face palming, Miley shook her head. "I can't believe I was so dumb not to react to that! Argh! The nerve of that girl!"

----------

Lilly sat in her room and poked the bundle of cash with her fingers. Playing with her cell phone, she debated to herself if she should call Jackson. After all, he was her only best friend. She didn't have as much friends after her parents' divorce and Ian's passing in high school.

The blonde dialed the boy's number and only reached his voice mail again. "Hey Jackson, why aren't you picking up? It's only three hours ahead here so it should be around eight back home." Lilly stayed quiet for a little while and let out a shaky breath. She decided not to tell him. "Just be sure to pick up next time, 'kay? Miss you! Bye!"

The dial tone clicked and Lilly stared at the phone's screen which went dark in seven seconds. She should be happy after getting three thousand from pop star, Hannah Montana. But why isn't she? Should she return the three thousand back? No way. No freaking way was she going to return it. Three thousand and ten dollars is all she has left, and she's going to put it in the bank.

Then what's making her worry?

Lilly flipped open her phone and dialed Jackson's number. Again, she only reached to the voicemail. Sighing, Lilly started, "Jackson, pick up next time! Geez. Anyways, I'm goin' home tomorrow. Why? Because I'm worried about you! Why aren't you picking up? Also because somehow my bank account's been rejected, so I have to check up on that. It's so weird though, yesterday I checked it and it was still fine. Today I checked it, everything was gone! Weird, but I'm okay now. I got three thousand smackaroonies from Hannah Montana. It's a long story, but I'll tell you once I'm home."

She didn't mean to blab on and on, it just naturally came out and once she starts, she can't stop talking. "But yea…I'll be coming home tomorrow, so look for me in the airport! Miss you! I'll see you tomorrow!"

Lilly was sure she was going home tomorrow. She was worried about Jackson. He hasn't been picking up her calls or he hasn't called her back ever since she arrived here. Lilly sighed. She climbed into bed and turned off the lights. Lord knows what he's been doing the past few days.

----------

Morning came and she forgot to close the curtains. Groaning, she carefully got up and stretched. She smiled out the window and set her hands on her hips. Today, she was going home.

Feeling all giddy and rejuvenated after her morning wash, she packed up all her belongings and double checked every single shelf and drawer. For a girl who got robbed, scammed, and terminated, she has an odd way of showing it. She herself was surprised, but she couldn't help but get excited that she was going back to her homey house and to Malibu. And maybe also getting three thousand dollars for free. Her good luck streak was coming back and nothing could go wrong.

Lilly sat on the desk chair and double checked her airplane ticket. Her eyes skimmed through it, just to make sure. She did a double-take once she saw the words 'one-way' in bold letters. Her breath caught. How could she not catch this before?

Her mind started to recall all the events that happened before Lilly came to New York. Jackson was totally out of character, and Lilly should've been more suspicious. Damn her for being too engulfed by the chance of her getting a free vacation. Damn Jackson for giving her lame tickets and being all goody two-shoes. Damn her for being so freaking gullible! So much for being so carefree about going home.

"God, I'm gonna kill him when I get home…Argh!"

Lilly needed to think of something, quick. She could sue, she could do that. She should do that. But if she wants a lawyer, she's gonna need some money. "Hmm…" she thought. What should she do? Nah, it would be harsh. But, she's going to need to spend her newly rewarded money and Lilly tried to prevent this from happening. "Argh, damn you Jackson. I swear if this is a prank, you are _so_ dead."

Finally done packing and double checking everything, Lilly grumbled angrily all the way to the lobby. "Freaking jerk…I trust him and care for him and this is what I get…" Lilly rolled her way to the counter where Carla was standing and talking to the phone.

"Hey!" Lilly snapped and Carla jumped. The assistant manager said good-bye to the person on the phone and set it down.

"What can I do for you this time, Miss Truscott?" she asked politely.

"I need a one-way ticket back to Malibu, California. Now," Lilly barked loudly. Carla decided to keep her mouth shut and checked in with Southwest for a ticket. Lilly's face was still disgruntled, as with her personality. How could he, she thought again and again. How could he even have the _nerve_ to do that to her? He was her best friend, they were supposed to trust and look out for each other.

Lilly thought more deeply. For a prank, this was way too far. Was Jackson trying to get rid of her or something?

"Are you sure you have enough money for it, Miss?"

Maybe I can get it for free...time to use the victim card, she smiled to herself. Lilly slightly pouted and sniffled. "Well, I'm trying to get back to Malibu, just so I can find out how to get my own life back," she looked down and sniffed. "I don't know how I'm going to do it, but I guess I have to stay here until I have enough money, huh?"

"Well," Clara sympathized, "don't you have any family member that you can contact?" Lilly shook her head. "How about a friend?" Lilly bawled and ducked her head on the counter.

"No one loves me!" she cried. Clara, embarrassed by the people staring at them, quickly tried to calm down her customer.

"Okay, okay." The brunette looked around to see if a co-worker was listening in on them. "How about this, I'll give you a free ticket. It'll be on the house."

Lilly slowly lifted her head up and wiped her eyes. "Really? You mean it? Oh my gosh, thank you so much! You're a life saver!"

Clara shushed her and printed out the receipt for the ticket, so Lilly can get the real ticket at the airport. "All you have to do is just show them this paper and you'll get the ticket, okay? Look, I'm really sorry about your losses and I hope everything will work out fine back home." Lilly nodded, barely trying to hide her giggles. "I'll pray for you, okay? Until then, I'll see you later." And with that, she went to the back and left Lilly biting her lip from laughing too loud.

"Score!"

----------

"Hey, guess what, it's your lucky day! Your autograph session over at Virgin's is canceled!" Marge's voice sounded exuberant for the first time Miley has ever heard in her life. Miley raised an eyebrow in confusion. "The store had an overnight robbery and everything's a complete mess. Wow who knew that a robbery would be a positive event?"

Miley sipped her usual coffee and went through both her own private phone and Hannah's bejeweled iPhone. Traci left a few texts and voice mails in Hannah's, mostly about the Olsen twins are so becoming anorexic again and how Mikayla's back in the industry after a two and a half year hiatus. Great, just what Miley needs: more competition while she's going to be on her temporary vacation from being Hannah Montana.

On her Sidekick, she listened to Jake's messages a few times until Marge heard what she was doing and deleted every single one of them. Now all she has left was his text messages. And to Miley's misfortune, Jake only sent either a two-word sentence or just the same thing that's being sent repeatedly. It wasn't really helping her point out to Marge that he's really a good boy. C'mon Jake, she pleaded in her thoughts, if you wanna be with me, then prove it! God!

Miley's impatience was cut short yet again when her thoughts wandered to the young lady who asked for three thousand dollars. The thought bothered her during the middle of the night and made her sleep-deprived. How could a person just walk into her life and ask for money? She wouldn't mind give her a hundred or two, but _three thousand dollars_? What the hell? And the odd thing that threw Miley off her seat was that she actually listened to the vulgar woman and gave her the whole total in _cash_. What the hell was she thinking? Actually giving her three thousand freakin' dollars? She just hated how that woman had the advantage of having her prized purse and pulled that trick on her! God, how Miley wanted kill someone…

She had thought, though, that if she were supposed to meet her again by fate, Miley was sure to make a way for that Lilly chick to pay her back, double the price. No one should ever mess with Miley, especially when she's in a bad, _really_ _bad_, mood.

"So, I only have to do the photo shoot for that magazine and I'm done?"

"Yea, for now. Remember you still have that movie premiere in a couple of weeks. But yea, you're on a short break. Y'know, I talked to Stan last night and he said that you can go and visit your new house. The furniture's not in yet, but he told me they're putting them in today."

"Really?" Miley was actually pretty excited. She was going to be living in her own private house in a private street and live as Miley, not Hannah. "When can I go?"

"Well, your photo shoot isn't going to be that long, since you already did the interview already. So you can go tonight or tomorrow morning. Your choice," Miley shrugged.

Miley grinned, "Tonight for sure. I really need some away time from the glamour. Thanks for telling me!"

"Why would I not tell you? I'm your manager, I'm supposed to tell you, stupid," Marge teased.

Miley scoffed jokingly, "Yea, yea, whatever." Miley was happy that she actually had a person she can confide in. Marge wasn't just her manager; she was also like a big sister to her. In front of millions, they would seem like the typical manager and superstar client, but behind the scenes, they are just two normal people that are living busy lives.

Sighing, Miley got up and went to her wig placeholder. "Sometimes, I want to burn this thing. I've worn this more than I've shown my natural hair. That's gotta be unhealthy." Marge chuckled in response, "Shut up. I've gotta get ready. I wanna see my new house all ready for me," she exclaimed.

Something in her stomach bubbled and her body started to feel jumpy. She skipped towards the bathroom and locked the door. Every bad thought went out and escaped her mind. The news about the house really sparked her optimism; she had a really good feeling about the outcome of the house.

---------

Lilly had a hard time resting in the plane. The economy cabin was crap compared to first class, there shouldn't have been a comparison between the two. Some kid kept on kicking her chair from behind and two grandparents sitting on either side were snoring and near to drooling on her own forearms. She asked the flight attendant twice if she could get ear plugs and towels to cover her arm, and they did say yes, but they never came back with them.

Disgusted, Lilly shook the two seniors off her shoulders and held her black backpack tightly in her arms. Her eyelids felt heavy and blood rushed through her head, giving her a quick migraine. Her body lunged forward every other second and she had the sudden urge to choke the kid kicking her seat, but refrained because his dad seemed to be a bodybuilder.

Just three and a half more hours, just three and a half more hours and I can be at home in my bed and sleep in peace.

**Four hours later**

She finally got her luggage from the baggage claim and dragged her way to the loading zone of the airport. Part of her body still felt like it was in Eastern Time, but it was only ten o'clock. Damn kid who kicked her seat.

The breezy yet humid air licked her cheeks and Lilly missed it. She smiled and took in a deep breath. Malibu is indeed her hometown. Then she remembered. She left Jackson a voicemail a couple minutes ago. He's supposed to pick her up now.

Grumbling, she got her phone out and dialed Jackson's number for the umpteenth time. "Jackson Rod Stewart, where the hell are you? I need a ride, pick me up please!" Few cars squealed to a stop and numerous honks filled the air. Lilly was angry, but a part of her was still worried if Jackson was okay. "Hey, Jackson, never mind about the ride. I'll just take the bus. Just…Just make sure to call me, 'kay? I need my best friend over! Bye!" The phone clicked and Lilly made her way to the bus stop a few feet away and waited.

As she waited, she thought about what's going on with Jackson and his behavior. He's usually never like this, she thought. Did something happen to him while she was gone? Did he get in trouble again? Did he…did he get into an accident? Dear god, please no. Lilly did not want the only person in her life gone again. Jackson was the only family she had left and he was like a shoulder to lean on when she's down.

No, she refused to think that way. He's still alive, still on the good side, no more gang bets. She made him promise her that he's not going to bet on any kind of sport-related things or anything with bets, period. Jackson kept that promise for a few years now and he and Lilly have been living okay lives. It would hurt her to see if Jackson broke that promise.

Before she knew it, the bus grunted to a stop in Lilly's neighborhood. She was shocked how she got here so fast, but she thanked the bus driver anyways. Stepping out to the pavement and rolled her luggage behind her as the bus honked to a go, leaving her to go the opposite direction, Lilly was home.

She opened the wooden gate that shows that her house does not want strangers and solicitors coming on her door step. The gravel crunched under her feet as she walked up the cemented steps of the doorway to her house. Good to be home, she grinned.

The key slid easily into the slot and the house smelt fresh. Lilly took in a whiff as she took off her shoes and set them down on the floor. She kept her eyes closed, thinking about how comfortable her bed would be right now. She wished she could just flutter like a butterfly and didn't have to carry the stupid luggage around. Then a thought hit her.

Maybe Jackson was in her house, throwing a surprise for her! Aw, that's so sweet of him. But that doesn't mean that he's off the hook. Lilly slid open the sliding door which was separated from the main door. Grinning, she opened her eyes.

"I'm home!" Her arms joyfully went up and her smile went down. Lilly must've been dreaming, but she cut herself and winced.

"_What happened to my house?!"_

----------

Miley smiled to the camera and posed playfully. "Good, Hannah, good! You are such a natural! Oh, wonderful, wonderful!" Becky, the photographer Hannah had two years ago for the pimple ad, had never changed. She was still a boastful and talkative artist who liked to make things her way. "Now Hannah, twirl for me! Twirl that beautiful blue dress! Yes!"

Miley was a bit worried if she was to go too far, but the shoot was nearly over. Marge gave her a thumbs up from the back, which she was standing next to the director of the magazine she was interviewed for. The pop star grinned as she neatly curtsied. "Okay, I think we are done!" Becky checked the time on her watch. "Oh, and all under three hours, impressive," she muttered to herself, leaving Miley to walk over to Marge.

"Wow, I feel…not like myself." Miley took a sip of water from the snack stand and sat down.

"You mean not like Hannah. You were like Miley up there." Marge fixed her reading glasses. "I'm guessing you almost forgot what it's like to be Miley?"

Did she really forget how to be her actual self? Awkwardly, she shifted in her seat. She hasn't spent enough time as the real her, but more as Hannah. The pop star life was taking control of her and now was the first time Miley had realized it. Stuttering, Miley didn't know how to answer to that.

"See, maybe you should go home tonight." Marge took her glasses off and set it down in front of her. "And you will anyways, since I already bought a ticket for you. You're very much welcome," she winked.

The singer gaped and glomped on her petite manager. "Oh my gosh, thank you so much!"

"Yes, you're welcome. Maybe you should get ready now; I also bought a ticket for first class and your flight's in a couple hours."

Miley literally jumped for joy and ran all the way to the dressing room. Finally, she was going to go to her house, her own place. It's permanent and it's all hers. Yes, now she can live in peace and quiet.

----------

Up and down the stairs, Lilly ran. She ran and ran until she tripped on the marbled floor. Groaning, she turned around and faced the high ceiling. Labored breaths with was the only noise that filled the house which was accompanied with sobs and sniffles. How could this have happened? Her furniture, plants, clothes, _everything_, was gone. All her possessions were gone. All the rooms were vacant and clean. The house was stripped until she could see the shine on the windows and the hardwood and marbled floor. Everything.

For awhile she stayed like that, hopeless on the cold floor. What was she going to do now? So much for sleeping on her soft bed.

A shrilling scream echoed through the two-story house as her feet and arms slapped against the ground. What does she have to do now? More importantly, _how_ was she going to do it?

Catching her breath, she calmed down and wiped her eyes. First, she's going to the bank and deposit her newly found money. Then she will go to her house mortgage person and see what happened to her house. After all this, she will go to Jackson's and ask for help for the investigation. Nodding to herself, she got up and went over to the sink to drink water from the faucet.

Was someone after her? Lilly hoped not. And even if someone was after her, they certainly got everything she owns. What else do they want for her? Lilly sighed and rested her elbows on the edge of the kitchen island. Was this karma? Lilly tried to recall anything she did bad, but nothing came to her. Maybe this is was she got after manipulating Hannah to give her three thousand, but what could she do? She needs money! She was broke!

"How the hell could've this had happened?" The freak-out stage was past her when she ran around the house to see where her furniture. She felt like she wanted to throw up, but she'd rather cry it out than throw her guts out. When she went to the bathroom, she noticed that even the soap was gone, too. Damn, she thought, who were these people?

She checked the drawers in the kitchen to see if anything else was stolen. Yep, everything is gone. What do they need with all this stuff? She thought. Then Lilly opened the last drawer on the left. There was a folded piece of paper inside. Lilly took it out, unfolded it and read it.

_Lilly, you might be wondering what happened to your house. Well, I cleaned it up pretty good, huh? Okay, the truth is that…I don't know how to say it to you face-to-face, so I'll write it down here in this note. I sold your house. With everything in it._

Lilly's eyes went large and her hands and knees felt weak in an instant. Her stomach felt hollow and her throat felt like it wanted to gag.

_But I have a really good excuse why I did so. I got into another…discussion, and, well I kinda owed the Penguin and his gang at least a million bucks. And if I didn't, I'd be six feet under the ground now. So thanks to you, you saved my life! Thank you so much Lil! –Jackson_

Lilly couldn't believe it. That's it? She flipped the paper around to see if there was anything else that explained more, but nothing else. That's it? Only two measly paragraphs? Lilly went from sad and depressed to anger and absolute frustration in less than half a second. He betrayed her! He promised that he wouldn't do that anymore! God, what the hell was wrong with her life?

A change of plans have been made. First, she was going to take a visit to the police station and find a way to arrest Jackson. But, maybe she should go to the bank first. She wouldn't want people to steal any more of her stuff.

Lilly took off with her purse and three thousand dollars in it. Jackson is going to be dead meat.

----------

She didn't know what to expect when she went to the police station. She didn't expect a live boxing show four feet away from her. Lilly flinched when one man wearing a leather jacket with piercings was smacked against the wall face first and three of the men wearing suits had to stop him. She caught her breath as she barely made her escape.

She was beginning to second guess if she made the right choice going here. It smelt like rot and smoke and something sour like that made her sense of smell go berserk. Instantly, she plugged her nose and ran to a free desk.

"Hi, what can I do for you?" A young good-looking man named Drew (Lilly glanced over to the name tag on his crowded desk) asked while eating Chinese take-out food. It was weird for Lilly to see that he was the only calm person in the whole floor of the building. His fingers were crossed together and his long thumbs spun around each other.

Lilly took a deep breath and looked around. She can do it, she can really do this. Cautiously finding the right words, the blonde opened her mouth, but to only close it a second later. Giving herself a mental debate in record timing, Lilly finally said, "My name's Lilly Truscott and my house has been stolen."

Drew eyed her, but respected her statement. "Okay then. Mind giving me any details about how it was stolen? Where were you at the time of –" the young man's voice was quickly interrupted by smashing chairs hitting against desks and police officers and detectives had to stop the mini gang violence happening inside. "'Scuse me, I'll be right back."

But Lilly didn't have time to hear what he had said. All she could hear was a chorus of colorful words thrown back and forth and sudden smashing and crashing of wooden objects. She turned to see what was going on. A small man, nearly about the same size of Jackson, was sitting down, cowering from the bigger males, holding the ends of many plastic and wooden chairs above their heads. They were about to smash them against the poor little man.

"I want my fuckin' money, you fuckin' jackass! You said we were gonna get'em soon, and soon is _now_. Where the fuck's our fuckin' money?!" A man with a big set of arms shook him out of his seat and strangled him, nearly killing him right then and there. Good thing the cops were quick to stop and hold everything together.

And then Lilly stopped panicking. Everything in her just stopped functioning. Standing up, she numbly walked out to the front of the station and just stood at a near post. She took out the crumpled paper she found in the drawer.

It's too late to get it back. It's too late to get the house her family made back. Lilly knows everything what Jackson has done now, and it was full of cowardice. What could she expect though? He was a rotten pig who just used her because she had the money from the wills of her deceased mother and brother. She was stupid for trusting in him. Remorsefully, Lilly smacked her face to her palm. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

In her head, she replayed all of what Jackson might've done and what he has done while she was away. He sucked up to her, then cleaned up the place by taking everything out and selling it, and then finally selling it to some random person. No, Lilly thought. Whoever that person is, she was determined to say that he or she stole that house from her. That person who bought it from the jerk was stupid to buy it from him. More stupider than myself, she thought.

Jackson might've then changed both his cell phone number and his home number and moved to a different apartment. Lilly hated him so much now, it hurt. She was manipulated! She hated how much it hurts!

But then, why did Lilly just walk out of the building? Because, she thought sadly, I still care for him. If he was going to do this, then fine. Lilly didn't like to think about it, but if she has to move on, then she must.

Lilly looked up to the slightly smoggy sky and closed her eyes, small tears falling slightly on her cheeks. I'm sorry Mom, I'm sorry Ian…I'm sorry Dad…for losing the Full House…I'm _so_ sorry.

----------

"Okay, this day can_not_ get any more better. This is the life." Leaving the hotel as Hannah, but then staying in First Class as Miley, oh damn, it's a dream come true. "Marge, you are amazing. Thanks for being my manager."

"You're welcome," Marge said once again with a smile.

"You know what you are? You're like an assistant-slash-manager-slash-best friend." Miley waved her hands around while her eyes were busy with the nap-eye protector. She was planning on going to sleep, but the excitement was just too much for her body; she became restless.

"Uh-huh, I am, and again, no problem."

"Wait, you're not asking for a raise, are you?"

"Well I was," she half-jokingly said, "until Stan sent me an email that you have to dress up as Hannah when you arrive at the airport."

"Humble manager say what?" Miley lifted her nap-eye protector and stared at Marge. "What the hell? Why?"

"Because some people want her," 'her' referring to Hannah, "to arrive at Malibu formally," Marge shrugged and shook her head, typing her reply to Stan.

"Why? Why the hell do people care that I'm gonna be back in Malibu?" Miley then swore under her breath.

"Because you're Hannah Montana. You're a freakin' international idol. Do you know what international means?"

Miley sighed harshly and lay back again. The only thing that's getting her through is just her new house. That's all, her brand new, private beachfront house. Yes, life is semi-perfect.

----------

It was nearing two o' clock and she just noticed now that her stomach was rumbling. Her refrigerator was clearly empty and she had just come back to the house. She also decided to save her only change and a clean ten dollar bill. So, why not just rest? A lot has come up to her, and she needed some rest.

Lilly headed towards the two steps leading to the living room from the kitchen. Her purse was a pillow and her suitcase stood next to her feet. The glazed floor was cold to her body, but was instantly recovered after a few exhales. Who cares if she was sleeping on the cold, cemented floor? She's tired and she needs to recover from all the things she's been through from the past few days.

Right when her whole body relaxed, the sliding door slammed to the wall and a noise of sudden busy bustling and crowded conversations began to fill the vacant building. Lilly jolted and her neck cracked when it wasn't supposed to be crack.

"Ow, god…" She rubbed her neck and opened her eyes, hoping she was dreaming.

"Okay, now the couch goes there. Yes, there, that's the living room! Now the TV, just follow the couch and put it on the opposite wall from the couch, please, thank you! C'mon let's hurry!"

Lilly stood up from all this confusement. Were people giving her back her furniture? Wait, they weren't hers though; they looked newer and more contemporary and sophisticated, yet all very simple and laid back. Maybe they were giving her new furniture! So everyone must've heard what had happened!

"Excuse me sir, but what are you doing in my house?" After Lilly asked, the man in the polo suit was suddenly quiet, which made everyone else freeze what they were doing. The lost blonde looked around, seeing and feeling many pairs of eyes poking right through her. "Why is everyone quiet all of a sudden?"

The man in the polo suit and glasses laughed shortly after and everyone else resumed they're setting. "Little girl, are you lost?"

"I'm twenty-two, damn it, I'm not lost!" Lilly snapped. She mentally cursed her small body for always giving her a hard time to tell people she's actually in her twenties, not it her teens. "And," she cleared her throat, "this is my house, I believe."

"Why, I don't think so. Come with me and I'll so you something." The man led her to the kitchen and they stood next to the island. He then took out a very thick medium sized envelope from his inner breast pocket and showed Lilly and interesting sheet of paper.

Lilly slowly recognized the piece of paper he was holding delicately in his hands. "Hey wait…this is _my_ deed to the house! Where did you get it?" She took it from his reach and read it to herself.

"Um," he started to laugh nervously, "That is confidential. We will not tell you who sold us the house." The eyes behind his thin bordered glasses adverted to the spiral set of stairs. "Be careful with that! You will wreck it! They will kill you if you rip it!" He shouted to a pair of young teenage boys holding up a bubble-wrapped rectangle. They nodded nervously and quickly went up the stairs. "Be _careful_," he seethed.

"Um," Lilly interrupted, "But this _is_ my house. I never sold it to anyone!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you have to go."

"Uh-uh, this is my house and I'm staying here until you get your heads screwed on straight." Lilly defiantly stood her ground and everyone else resumed working, ignoring the scene happening in the middle of the kitchen.

"Security!!!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Wait! Stop!" Lilly was then dragged off by two muscular men dressed in black and was kicked off the curb. The black door slammed right in front of her face and she banged on it. "Wait, my stuff! My suitcase and purse!"

A second later, the same man with the polo suit opened the door and smiled. "Hi, did you forget something?"

"Yes, my stuff! Can I get back and –"

"Oh, this junk here. Okay." He threw the stuff out onto the gravel behind Lilly, along with her purse. "Don't come by here anymore or we could sue, 'kay? Bye."

Lilly's eyes started to tighten as she heard the door slam behind her again. Quickly, she opened her suitcase and took out her picture frames. The one with her and her parents and Ian standing with exuberant smiles on their small faces was broken. The glass cracked from the middle and led until it reached the wooden frame. A tear dripped against the broken glass and flowed its way down as Lilly hugged it. Whoever did this, whoever bought this house, Lilly was sure she was going to make that person live a living hell.

Gently, she left a kiss on her distorted picture and put it back in between her hoodie. She decided to spend her ten dollars on a new picture frame. Lilly got up and picked up her belongings, and walked all the way to the nearest drug store.

When Lilly came back, the moving trucks were still there, nearly finishing all the unpacking. The whole evening, she waited outside the gates to watch guard until the moving company leaves.

By the time everyone was gone and the man who kicked Lilly out put the key underneath the rug, she sneaked back inside, carrying her things. She thought she regretted packing so much stuff, but now she was nothing but thankful to do so. Finally she reached the front of her house and went through her purse for the house key. When she found it, she changed her mind and put it back in a secret slot in her bag.

Lilly sat down underneath the roof of the front door. Sighing heavily, she put her head on her knees. She didn't want to see her home all refurnished, especially her room. Sadly, she shook her head and laid her forehead on the caps of her knees. I guess it's never too late to find a profitable job, she thought.

"Okay, bye Marge! Thanks for the lift! I'll let you know how the house is! Bye!"

Lilly froze in her seat. She didn't hear the sound of a car passing by, or the car door slam. She must've been hallucinating, right? After all, it was a long day for her.

The wooden gate unlatched and the porch light lit. Lilly didn't know what to do. Her legs were numb from the shock and blood rushed to her ears. Nope, she was not imagining this.

A head of blonde hair moved around and Lilly decided to keep her head down. This is a dream, this is a dream, she repeated in her head. She wasn't ready to see the owner of the house or ready to get up. Her body felt weak and limp and –

"You! What the hell are you doing here?" the voice sounded worried and nervous, yet angry and tight. Lilly recognized that voice. It sounded much like…_her_?

The blonde blinked a few times and wiped them. For real? _She_ bought her house? No. Way. "Hannah Montana?"

* * *

**It begins and ends with Hannah and Lilly meeting at the most unfortunate times, lol. Don't y'all just love that?! Up next, we'll get to hear behind the history of the house and how Lilly and Hannah will cooperate. Everything after this chapter should move on quickly (yay!).**

**Remember to review! I'd _love_ to hear your thoughts on this! **


	5. Chapter 4

**I guess I have plenty of time in my hands. School's starting next week and I want to upload as many chapters as possible. Because once I go to school, the updates will be extremely slow. So here's a new chapter. I don't have a lot of news to give, but a lot happens in this chapter (at least I think so). And if you guys remember the very first chapter (the preview/intro chap), we will be heading towards that _very_ soon. There, just to keep you guys on your toes.**

**About the house: The house detailed here in the story is also from the Korean drama. I have a link in my profile that shows a few pictures of what the house looks like. I personally _hate_ giving details of inanimate objects, it bugs the hell out of me. So go to my profile and the link is in the very bottom of my bio. Happy readings!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters, the creators do.**

**P.S: TCAs was awesome. And hey, Emily won Choice sidekick, which is cool. But I don't get how Ashley Greene won Fresh Face (then again, I don't understand how Twilight won 11 awards. Sorry, don't hate me, but I'm not much of a Twilight fan). Miley's performance was also good. I don't get why people are stirring up the whole "OMGZ POLE DANCING STRIPPER" thing. I find it very annoying. I mean, it was interesting, but y'know, she's Miley freakin' Cyrus. It was pretty much expected of her to do something spontaneous and out of the ordinary, don't you think?**

**P.S.S: How 'bout it: Emily and Miley in a jello wrestling match. That'll be quite the show. (From an interview given to Emily Osment. She said that she could take Miley _down_.)**

* * *

Well, it's too late to get Marge…Hannah grudgingly cursed to the starry sky silently and stomped her way to the door. Lilly stood up and followed suite, rolling in her suitcase inside. Lilly was not expecting _the_ Hannah Montana to buy her house. Then again, Lilly was not expecting anything after Jackson gave her those damned tickets.

The taller blonde left the sliding door open and walked in with her shoes on as Lilly took hers off and left it in the small room in-between the front and sliding doors. The lost blonde was about to say something about it, but it would seem out of place.

Lilly stopped walking as the pop star plopped down on a three cushioned beige-café colored couch and made herself comfortable. She whipped her head to where her couch used to be. It was now occupied with an upright piano. It looked beautiful and antique and brought out the living room to life. Her walls were covered with movie posters that included Hannah starring in them, and it was so…clean. It didn't even look close to the house Lilly lived in before. She didn't know what other words she had to put it in, but it was so damn clean. Everything shone in the lamps' lighting. The house wasn't musty or crowded with unwanted junk, and Lilly liked that. Too bad it wasn't hers.

Lilly walked her way to the ottoman and stood in front of Hannah, who was crossing her arms and puffed her hair out of her face. The previous home owner didn't like to see where this was going. It felt a bit awkward for her to even be there right now.

"Three thousand still not enough for you?" Hannah, pissed as what Lilly could put it in, tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. She clutched her purse that was set down right next to her. "Answer me, how in the world did you find out where I was living? I just moved here!" Her voice pitched lower and dangerous, meaning Lilly should watch what she should say.

What was she going to say? Lilly's stomach churned in anxiety. "I-I didn't know you bought my house," she said quietly.

"What?"

"Long story short: My so-called best friend sold my house behind my back and I come back to see that you bought it from him."

The sounds of waves were muffled by the thick beachfront windows. Hannah replayed what Lilly had just said. Lilly waited for a response. Her feet started to ache, but she'd thought it would be rude to just sit down without the singer offering. She had to put on a good side to make her believe it all.

"Ha! Yea, right. Okay, so your house has been stolen from your best friend, who then sold it to me. Okay, that makes a lot of sense." The singer uncrossed her arms and squeezed her hands to tight fists. "So, if this is your house, why were you sitting outside? Why weren't you inside?"

"Because," Lilly sighed, "your movers kicked me out. I was already in here, but then they barged in with a lot of stuff, which is the stuff that's hanging on the walls and all the furniture and stuff." Hannah stared at her for awhile, still not sinking in what the other blonde just said. "You think I would have anywhere else to go? I just found out today that Jackson freakin' stole my house to a complete stranger!" Lilly seethed as Hannah's eyes went wide. "I'm sorry, really, you're not a stranger! I'm just-I just-my house-ah, forget it."

"Hold that thought, I'll be right back, right after I call the cops." Hannah got up but Lilly stopped her.

"Wait, okay. Just listen to me." Hannah sat back down and raised an eyebrow. "Look, I'm not here for any more money or anything else. I didn't know that some person sold it, let alone to you of all people." Hannah stayed quiet and listened intently. "Let's just-let's just make a deal again."

This time Hannah propped her elbows on her knees. This should be interesting. "I paid lots of money for this house. I'm _not_ going to sell it."

"No, I know you wouldn't. So, here's the deal. I'll pay you back that money." Lilly gulped and finally sat down on the ottoman.  
The pop star sat back in her seat. Pay back all that money? Scoffing, she crossed her arms and legs. "Oh, okay then. Yea, okay you can pay back the money," she paused, "after you come back from jail." Then she took out her cell phone from her bag.

"Okay, wait, wait! I'll pay it back, immediately."

Hannah laughed. "Immediately?" She put down her phone. My oh my, things have gotten more interesting. "So you want to trade again? You're gonna give me back the money I spent on this house? You're broke, you have no money! How could you pay?"

"Well, I could," Lilly thought about it for awhile. Her body fidgeted as the blonde singer eyed her with cold eyes and a smug smirk. "I could…To start off, I'll give you back the three thousand dollars."

"Okay, then. That's fine, but where are you going to stay?"

Lilly hadn't thought about that. "Can I stay here until I pay you back?"

Hannah scoffed again. "Yea right, like that'll ever happen," she muttered under her breath. "How about work? You have a job, right?"

"A job?" Lilly's replied airily. "Pfft, psh…heh, who needs a job when I can write?" Lilly said in a quickened breath.

"You…don't have a job, do you?" Hannah was enjoying this. Yes, this is her revenge. Boy, does it feel good to release something.

"No, I don't," Lilly perked up as Hannah sighed and shook her head. "But," she recovered quickly, "but, I will-am-be looking for one!" Lilly nodded her head.

Hannah sighed again and Lilly flushed. God why did everything bad have to happen at once? This was going nowhere, she thought hopelessly. Even if Lilly pleads helplessly, Hannah will still call the police or do something that could cause bodily harm to the smaller blonde.

"So, even if you are looking for a job, what department would you be in?"

"Huh?" Hannah glared at her. "Oh! Um, journalism, screenwriting, or writing a novel. Anything with writing, really."

"Wow, okay," the pop star sitting on Lilly's right said surprisingly. Lilly thought it seemed fake to show interest. "Okay, then." Hannah clicked her tongue and observed her nails.

"My father," Lilly started, "he built the house firsthand with the help of my mom and a little from my older brother. I was around eight or ten." Hannah slowly turned her head and looked at the girl who was staring at the floor with clouded eyes. "This house isn't just a 'house.' It's a part of me. I can't just give it up to a person who I hardly even know!"

The pop star set her hand down on her lap as Lilly looked right into her eyes. "Please, just give me one more chance." Hannah felt sorry for her. Well, almost felt. "Please, just give me time. I can't let go of the house like this."

Lilly looked to Hannah, who cleared her throat and uncrossed her legs. "Please?" she sniffled.

A snicker came from the woman sitting next to her. "Huh?" Lilly questioned softly.

"Wow," she laughed. "Your sob stories are becoming a _lot_ more believable. Good job!" Hannah stood up and took Lilly by the arm. "Now get out of here!" She dragged Lilly to the front door with the other woman's suitcase.

"What? I'm telling the truth, let me go!" Lilly struggled to get out of the taller girl's vice grip. Damn, must've been from holding the mike for so long, Lilly thought bitterly. "What the hell? Let me go!"

Finally reaching the main front door, Hannah pushed her and her luggage out of the door. "No, wait, wait! Stop!" Damn heels, Lilly thought. The door closed before Lilly could grab it open.

"Ah, peace and quiet…"Miley sighed as she took off her wig. Yes, peace and quiet indeed apart from the banging and yelling coming outside from the door. "Damn that girl is everywhere…" The brunette walked up the stairs across from the kitchen and slowly started to unbutton her shirt. "Where's that damned shower…"

----------

The door clicked to a close and Miley was set to go for an early morning jog on the beach. Her back cracked as she stretched them out. Last night felt nice to finally sleep in her own house. The thought of the small blonde chick left her mind while she was trying to find the bathroom. The house was oddly structured, she thought, but that's what makes it nice to live in.

The bathroom was located downstairs next to the laundry room. And in the laundry room, there wasn't any washer or dryer yet, so Miley would just have to go over to the dry cleaners' or something. Ah, damn it, my car's not here yet. Miley almost forgot that her car and the rest of Hannah's clothes were still in the storage. She decided to check on it later, after she gets to know the house a little bit better. Maybe she should call Marge to send in her car today.

After stretching her quads, Miley cracked her neck and walked her way to the chestnut wooden gate. She took in a breath of the early breezy morning and let it out from her mouth. Maybe she could go three miles this time, make most of her morning stamina. Maybe even more than three, maybe even –

"Ugh, Mom…"

Miley squinted her eyes and slowly turned her head to the right. Frowning, all of her happy thoughts disappeared.

That _girl_ was still _here_! Damn! I haven't even left the house yet! Really now?

There she was, lying down in a fetal position on the handmade wooden bench. A grey hoodie was covering her torso and her face, while her feet were bare and her legs covered with tight denim jeans. Her heels were aligned next to each other right beneath the bench and the gray suitcase was erected from the bottom up, standing right next to the top of her head.

Slowly, Miley crept her way to the body. She peeled open the hoodie to see her face. "Hey, wake up! Hey!"

The girl on the bench moaned and shut her eyes tightly. "Stooopp, I wanna sleep…" She whipped her hand to where Miley was holding her hoodie and took it out of her hands. "It's cold…"

"Hey! Get off my property!" Miley nudged her even more.

"Stooopp!" Lilly shook the bench and turned around to face away from Miley.

"Hey –" Oh crap. She forgot. The girl doesn't know about Miley. Crap. Hurriedly, Miley got a cap from inside the house and hid all her hair inside it. It didn't take long, since she was already a pro in wearing her wig in a moment's notice.

By the time she went back outside, Lilly was gone. "Oh…well." Miley inhaled a breath of success. That was easier than expected.

But, when Miley arrived back from her three and a half mile run, Lilly was back again laying down on the bench. The brunette couldn't believe it. What the hell, she repeated, what the hell.

"Get the hell off my bench and leave!" she ripped the hoodie off her body and threw it over her shoulder. "Wake up!" Stress is never good for the body when it's early in the morning. But did she even have a choice right now?

This time, the blonde didn't even budge. No whining or groaning. Nothing.

"Hey…wake up…?" Miley noticed her lips seemed like a pale pink, an unnatural color that matches with her pasty skin. She knew the girl didn't look like this last night. Gingerly, Miley put a cool hand on the blonde's forehead. Her hand was scorched in only a few seconds.

Does it look like she has any other choice now? No, she doesn't. She isn't heartless, maybe grumpy and bitchy at times, but never heartless.

As Miley crouched down and lifted the sick blonde up in a piggyback, she groaned as her knees popped in unison. Maybe she should weight lift, too, rather than just run a few miles here and there.

It was a struggle to open door the front door then open the sliding door. It wasn't that she was heavy or anything (maybe just a little bit), but Miley had to admit that she's a bit dysfunctional when it comes to heavy things.

"Shit, god damn…" She threw the suitcase, backpack, and purse as it skidded to the glazed floor and groaned as she readjusted the unconscious girl behind her back. It would've been smarter to just carry her in then come back for the rest.

Okay, just down two steps and just throw her on the couch, Miley thought. It was a lot more easier said than being done, that's for sure.

"Holy hell," she groaned as she dropped the girl on the three-cushioned couch. When she lifted her back, she felt really old all of a sudden. "God, I need to eat more vitamins. Ow…" Miley grabbed the knitted blanket which was folded neatly on the arm rest on the far side. Quickly, she unfolded it and placed it neatly on top of the sick woman.

Miley didn't know what came over her all of a sudden, but she felt the sudden urge to help her until she's better. She didn't like it, but her body just seemed to move on autopilot. Her legs moved her to the kitchen and bent down to put her luggage tidily next to the kitchen table.

She jumped when she heard a loud snore coming from the living room. Cursing, she set down the pale blue leather purse and went out the building. The nearest drug store was only five miles away. That wasn't so bad; she would need the run to clear out her mind on what she just did. Double checking she still has her cap, Miley started to jog on her journey to the drug store.

----------

The bench seemed so much softer now and a lot more comfortable than before. Sniffing a deep breath, Lilly couldn't smell anything. She heaved in heavy breaths through her nose, but later on coughed terribly. Oh great, I'm sick. Her eyelids refused to open and her feet felt like it was cramping up.

Where was she? Was she back in the house? Everything seems like it's in slow motion…Why is the bench she's sleeping on so awfully nice? Oh, and there's a blanket on – Ow! Terrible, terrible headache. Lilly coughed until her throat felt raw and sore.

"Oh…Mom…" Barely opening her eyes, she saw a tall blurry figure. It looked like a tall blob of shadow inching towards her very carefully. "…Mom…? What –" The shadowed figured shushed her and caressed her forehead gently. "Miss you…Mom…"

----------

Miley thought she was going to die when she arrived back the house. She almost forgot that she had to run back another five miles back. Running ten miles and carrying a person into a house isn't the best idea, especially since she hasn't been to the gym in awhile.

Panting for air, she heard moaning and coughing in the living room. Miley hoped she wasn't awake yet. The young lady was sweating profusely and was calling for what seems like her mom. Cautiously, Miley approached her, not wanting to scare her.

"Mom…? What're –"

Miley quickly shushed her, not wanting to attract attention. Strands of the girl's hair stuck on to her sticky forehead and Miley pushed them away.

"Miss you, Mom…"

Miley took her hand away in a heartbeat. The feeling in her heart thudded against her chest and she wanted to gag. She remembered what it felt like, to call for her mother, but never came. She hated it. Was this how it looked like, calling for your mom pathetically?"C'mere," the brunette lifted her neck and popped in an Advil to her dry mouth. "Here, drink water." The blonde took the water bottle and sipped the ice cold water. Nodding, she lied back into her previous position and went back to sleep, mumbling wordless mumbles.

Who knew this would ever happen. Who was this girl, Miley wanted to know. Why did she keep on appearing into her life now? Thinking deeply in thought, she went to the kitchen table and went to look into the sick girl's belongings.

Lillian "Lilly" Rain Truscott is her name. Her birthday is in five and a half weeks. She has blue eyes and is five foot two and a half. She had a family of four, Miley assumed by her pictures, including herself. A mom, a dad, and an older brother. Just like mine, she thought.

Miley then took out a black calendar book. Skimming through, she saw a small star sticker on one of the dates upcoming this week. Mom and Ian's memorial, it read. Miley sighed heavily. What was the point of calling her mom if she doesn't have one?

She stuffed them back into the small purse. A small crumpled note came out of the book and Miley picked it up. The handwriting looked very familiar, much like…

"Jackson?! What? How –"

"Ugh, it hurts…oohh…"

"Crap," Miley cursed silently. "What the hell?" Miley remembered the last time she saw Jackson. It was just a week before she went to New York…and he asked for first class tickets and Hannah Montana tickets…"Oh!"

Miley put two and two together and it all made sense. She then remembered Lilly complaining about Jackson…selling her house…Oh my god, no he didn't…

She dialed the phone and punched in Marge's number. "Hello? Marge? Yea, I need to see the lawyer, what's-his-face…Yea, Harvey, whatever. I need to talk to him. Because, okay, you remember that girl who I gave the three thousand to...Yea, her! Yea, guess what? This is her house…It was her house. And her best friend sold it behind her back…Well, that's what she said. I know! Yea…Oh, and after we meet up with Harvey, we need to see someone else…don't worry, it's personal. Yea…Sure, I'll hold."

The brunette walked over to the kitchen and got out a large bowl and filled it up with warm water. Taking a cloth from the oven handle, she dipped it in and watched it soak in the water. The coincidence of Lilly and Jackson being friends was not funny, according to Miley. Questions raced through her mind; does Lilly know who she really is now and she's just playing it cool? Or is she just really dumb being friends with Jackson? Miley didn't know, but she hoped it was the second one. And she is kinda dumb, Miley thought, laughing to herself.

Walking down towards the living room to where Lilly was lying down, her right shoulder started to cramp as she set down the basin-like bowl on the table. "Yea, I'm here," Miley took the phone to her hand. With only one hand, she drained out the excess water from the cloth and folded it in half to set it on Lilly's forehead.

"What?!" Miley shut herself up instantly. "Sorry, I don't get it. How is he busy?" Miley sighed loudly. Screw Harvey for being such a wuss. "Fine then…Just give me his phone number and I'll call him." She wrote down the number on a notepad she conveniently found on the table. "Yea…Where are you now…Okay then, I'll just call him now…Pick me up around one? Oh, and could you call the storage to get my car? Today…Okay, cool, bye."

Miley hung up the phone and set it down on the table. Damn Harvey. If he knew what he was doing, why didn't he just talk it over with Lilly? God, how many things does she need to do now?

Miley was itching to take off the damned hat. It would be risky, but her hair needs air. She glanced down to Lilly. She seems like a heavy sleeper, and she's also sick. What the hell. Miley took off her hat and shook her hair down.

Dialing the phone number on the notepad, Miley walked over to the patio in the backyard. "Hey Harvey, we need to talk."

----------

"…No, Harvey, I don't give a shit about what you're doing now –"

Her head pounded against her skull as she opened her eyes and pushed herself up by the elbows. She was back in the house. How'd she get back in the house?

"So you just kicked her out without asking her any questions? Yea, Harvey, that's really professional."

Who was that? Hannah? Boy she sounds mad. A wet cloth fell on Lilly's blanketed lap and drips of sweat and water went down the sides of her face. I never knew Hannah had a maid, Lilly thought. But if there was a maid, wouldn't she be sitting right next to me?

"Oh, no problem, huh? There is a problem. How could you be so stupid? Why didn't you tell me about this before? Then everything else would be taken care of."

Is she talking about me? Am I the problem? Ow, my head…

"No, Harvey, it's too late to change things now. I have to take of everything else by myself, don't I?" Lilly heard a small beep and footsteps coming from the kitchen.

Oh crap, Lilly thought quickly. Rapidly, she lay back down and covered herself with the blanket and the damp cloth back to her forehead. Hardly opening her eyes, she saw a tall figure walking around the kitchen island.

That was for sure not Hannah. She was maybe the same height as her, but Hannah does not have brown hair. Opening her eyes even bigger, Lilly concluded that she could be the maid. But what kind of maid would wear track shorts and a Nike jacket with running shoes? Must be a slow day, Lilly thought.

The brunette maid was starting to walk over towards the couch Lilly was lying on and Lilly closed her eyes shut. Hannah might be outside, taking a late run or might be working again, Lilly thought to herself again.

"Oh crap, my hat," she heard her murmur to herself. Hat? What hat? Maids are allowed to wear hats? Since when? Maybe Hannah has a different way of doing things…

The smell of chicken noodle soup opened Lilly sense of smell and her stomach grumbled softly. Holy hell was she hungry.

"Hey, you gotta eat. Wake up," her voice sounded gruffly. Lilly moaned and shook her head lightly. "You're gonna have to if you don't want to stay sick."

Why the hell was she acting like this? One day she's "you're such a liar, get the hell out of my face," then the next she's "make sure you eat so you don't stay sick." Was Lilly dreaming or something?

"Later," Lilly managed to croak out. "I'll eat later." Slowly, Lilly barely opened her eyes and squinted to see the maid. It's…Hannah? But she was wearing the _same_ exact clothing as the brown-haired maid! That's it, Lilly was hungry.

The singer sighed. "Fine then. Hey, I'm gonna be out for a bit. Think you can stay here by yourself?" Wow, that coming out of Hannah's mouth sounded _weird_.

"Uh-huh," Lilly nodded and pouted. Just for the effects, she thought and giggled to herself.

"Okay…Um, I'll be back in a few hours then." Footsteps went towards the door and both shut to a tight close. Lilly perked up as she heard a car door close and zoomed off.

Lilly shot up and quickly drank the soup sitting on the tray. Nope the soup wasn't enough, she needs more. Running up to the kitchen, she took out everything that could be heated in the microwave and a cup of instant noodles.

This should cure her in an instant.

----------

"Wow, you actually _miss_ your brother? I find that hard to believe, Miley."

"You also find it hard to believe that _the_ Robby Ray Stewart is really my daddy."

"Hey," Marge defended herself. "How should I know? You hardly talk to your dad anymore. How am I supposed to believe that?"

"Marge!" Miley gaped.

"What? It's true. Anyways, what did you guys talk about for so long that I had to wait inside the car for almost two hours?"

Miley pointed out to her that Lilly's best friend was actually her own brother. "Yea and he totally blackmailed her, which is uncalled for. He sold her house behind her back!"

"Why?"

"Because of the main reason why I don't talk to him anymore: gambling." Miley didn't want to admit it, but she did feel partly sorry for the blonde girl.

"Wow, so what're you going to do?" Marge turned the last left and drove up in Miley's private driveway.

"I dunno. I mean, it's not that I hate her or anything…I dunno. She said that she wants to pay me back for the money I spent on the house. God, what should I do? I don't want to kick her out and leave her homeless…Then she'll just say that Hannah's selfish and a total freak."

"Well, I'll leave that up to you. We're here." Marge set the gear in park. "Best of luck to ya!"

Miley shut the door hard and bit her lip. "Thanks, Marge. I'll call you later." She waved her manager off and she was left standing there in the sunny sky. Trudging inside the house, Miley saw that Lilly was still sleeping. She walked over to see if she ate the soup, and she did. Sighing, she took the tray to the kitchen and set it down on the sink.

Wait, what's a banana peel doing with a cracked egg in the sink? She didn't make a protein shake this time, and even if she did, she wouldn't put raw eggs in them. She turned around to look at the stove area and she saw the towel all crumpled up and thrown into the corner next to the microwave. Miley didn't like where this was going.

She opened the refrigerator and was amazed to see what she saw. Oh…Miley definitely changed her mind about Lilly.

Half-eaten peaches and apples thrown in randomly to the shelf along with packages of refrigerated snacks ripped open and left trash on the bottom of the fridge. The orange juice was uncapped, along with the milk carton. One of the shelf doors was forced to close and a few Ziploc bags were 'unzipped.' Fluids and juices Miley didn't know oozed out of them, flowing out until it made a puddle to the bottom of the refrigerator door.

Things are not going to look good for Lilly.

"Hey," Miley stomped over to the couch and fixed her hat. "Hey, quit the act. I know what you did. You better clean that mess up."

Lilly moaned in response. "I'm sick," she coughed.

"Quit the crap, you better clean that up."

"I'm sick, really…Ugh, my head's spinning."

Miley scoffed. "Clean the kitchen." She turned on her heel and went up the spiral set of stairs right behind her. Her running shoes squeaked against the wooden steps and the vast hall area on the second floor. Angrily, she slammed the door and Lilly jumped.

"B-but…I'm really sick…" she meekly stated. Well, too late for that. Lilly mentally slapped herself and kicked the blanket off her body. "Stupid, stupid, stupid! Argh! Damn you stupid stomach! God!"

Lilly put herself together and dragged her heavy body to the kitchen. Cleaning the dirty bowls was a first, and then taking out everything from the refrigerator was a second. Lilly's eyes drooped, but shook herself awake. The sound of footsteps thumped down the stairs coming from the stairs next to the kitchen. Lilly leaned against the closed red refrigerator door and coughed.

"Oh god, the room's spinning…"

"Stop pretending, okay?" Miley, who was wearing her wig this time, just simply stared at her with no expression whatsoever, and sat down on the kitchen table, facing away from Lilly. "Hey, bring me some water."

Did Lilly hear right? "What?"

"Wa-ter." Miley turned around and repeated slowly. Was this girl stupid or something?

The blonde woman set down the water in front of her and crossed her arms. Great, just because Lilly did one little thing wrong (okay, maybe not so little), Hannah just has to command her around like she's some lifeless –

"Are you a beggar?"

"What?" What the hell is she talking about? "No, I'm not…" Lilly had a confused look. "Why?"

"Why did you sleep outside like a hobo?" Miley sipped the water, locking her eyes with the other girl. "You really don't have any other place to go?" Lilly scoffed. "And it all makes sense now, considering what you just did to my kitchen…"

"Look, I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you," Lilly spat out, "but you are _really_ rude."

Miley gulped down the last of the water and set down the glass. Lilly eyed her every move as her hand made her way to an envelope. She hoped it wasn't what she expected what it was…

"Here, you should take this." Miley smiled as Lilly opened the envelope. The girl's expression was priceless.

"Why-why are you giving me this?" Lilly held up another wad of cash. It had to be, like, another three thousand dollars!

"Because," Miley sniffed and smiled genuinely, "I feel sorry for you."

Oh, bad move, Lilly thought, bad move. Pity never helps in a situation, especially in a situation this drastic. She shoved the money back into the envelope. "You-you're hopeless."

"What?" Who does this woman think she is?

"You-you call me a hobo, and then you actually think I am one." Her voice cracked as she sniffled. "You think that you're really that great, don't you?" Hannah bit her lip. "What, you think this is funny or something?" Her eyes started to tear up and her voice began to warble. "Are you making fun of me? Is that what you're doing? You think this is funny? You think I'm joking?"

Miley gaped. This girl went _way_ too far. "Why you…I'm not –"

"You know what you are?" Lilly wiped her tears away harshly, "You are the lowest person I have ever met." She threw it in front of Hannah and turned her heel to walk to the living room. "Bitch."

Her mouth never closed; it was still hanging open. Her head creaked as it watched Lilly rush down the stairs. Okay, she thought. What the hell just happened? Miley didn't know what happened just then. Was she throwing some bitch fit? She assumed so.

"Chill, you're just overreacting," she simply stated. "Don't regret it and take the money. Do something useful with it." Miley watched Lilly busily as she checked her purse and other belongings.

"Whatever, I'm off." Lilly got her stuff and walked out the door. She couldn't believe what she just said. The nerve of that arrogant celebrity! Her suitcase rolled against cement as her heels clicked against it. Seething, she walked her way towards the end of the driveway to the nearest bus stop, ignoring Hannah's shouts.

"Okay then! Sleep in the streets for all I care!" Damn, she thought. I try to be nice and there she goes, walking out without thanking me. Again. What the hell is wrong with her? And how dare she call me a bitch! I am not a bitch! I was being nice by giving her another free three thousand dollars! And I am _not_ rude. I just took care of her!

Miley continued her mental talk and unknowingly slammed the door hard. She plopped down on the couch, against the cushion Lilly was using as a pillow. Miley recalled step by step on what just happened.

First, she took care of Lilly, gave her a wet cloth and some soup. Then, she went to visit Jackson in order to find out more about the house deal. After, she comes back home and the kitchen was a complete mess, whom Lilly cleaned it up thoroughly (Miley made sure), since she was the one who made the mess in the first place. Next, Miley just said she felt sorry for her and she helped her by giving another three thousand. So, what did Miley do so wrong that made Lilly call her a _bitch_ and walked out on her?

Miley seriously could not find anything wrong. Furious by the other girl's smart remarks thrown at her, she threw the knitted blanket to the ground. Damn it…what was I going to do again?

The door bell rang and Miley glanced at the clock. Then she remembered. Her car was coming this afternoon. Sighing, she got up and went to the door. At the last minute, she took off her wig and flung it to the side. When she opened the door, a mid-aged man with a tow cap was smiling and held out his clipboard.

"Hi, how are you?" he greeted nicely.

"Fine," but could've been better, she thought bitterly. "You?"

"I'm great, thanks!" Miley handed back the clipboard.

"You can put the car in the right side of the driveway. Don't worry; it's not going to block anyone." The tow trucker nodded and pulled some levers that set down the car on the graveled dirt. It only took a few minutes until Miley handed him the check and he was on his way. "Thanks!"

The tow trucker waved from the window and honked the horn. Finally, it's good to have her good ol' Prius back in her possession. Might as well take it for a ride, she thought. She went back inside the house to get her wig (just in case if something comes up at work) and her purse, and most importantly her cell phones.

The car purred softly as she started the engine and Miley patted the dashboard. "Oh baby, it's so good to have you back." Still a bit rusty from a long hiatus from driving, Miley just drove up the drive way, just taking a glance to what the neighborhood looks like. It was tranquil and was filled with many beachgoers.

Unfortunately, Miley passed the bus stop and did a double take to see if it was Lilly sitting underneath the booth. She slowed down, just to see the girl with her head down, playing with her fingers. A bus came from a few feet behind her car and Miley pressed the gas to see if Lilly was going to get in.

From the passenger's rear view window, she slowed down and geared in park. Why didn't she get in? The bus squealed then passed Miley's car. She really was making this hard on her, wasn't she. Miley debated to herself what would happen if she did a u-turn and talked it over to the blonde chick. Things would look bad, she concurred, but what's the harm in just pointing out to her that she really has nowhere else to go? Anyways, she wanted to pay back the money I paid…

Lilly clicked her heels against the pavement and sighed. How could Hannah say that to her? How could she just easily give her money like that? She hated how everyone just pitied her so easily. It made her feel sick and weak, like people just say it just so they can get over it.

Did that pop star think that just because she has everything, she could just…Argh! God, Lilly couldn't bear to see her long face again.

A car door slammed from a good driveway distance across the driveway. Lilly looked up to see who would stop in the middle of the road. Well, speak of the devil, Hannah Montana. The blonde spat on the ground and ignored the singer eyeing her from a couple feet away.

"What're you doing there?"

Lilly rolled her eyes and observed her nails. What the hell does she want to do now?

"What're you doing over there?" she repeated, yelling across the rural road.

"Why don't you just mind your own stinking business," Lilly yelled back impatiently. There she was, leaning against her black Prius with her faded skinny jeans and a pair of brown cowboy boots. Who knew Hannah likes to go country? Lilly scoffed and crossed her arms.

It stayed quiet and for a long ten seconds. "Get in," she heard her simply say. Lilly raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, I'm asking you to get in."

"What in my right mind would I _want_ to get in your car?" Lilly replied angrily.

"Because," her voice seemed short and to the point, "I'm really curious. You said that you're gonna pay me back. How and when are you gonna do it?"

Lilly stopped shuffling her feet against the ground. She was so angry that she almost forgot about it. Crap it. She got her stuff together and walked across the road. Hannah got in the driver's seat as Lilly put everything away in the small trunk.

It was dreadfully quiet until they reached the house. Lilly pinched herself many times during the whole car ride until a few blood drops dripped into the palm of her hand. God, I'm so _stupid_.

"It's not that I forgot, really!" Lilly dragged her bags into the house as Hannah threw her jacket onto the ottoman. Is she even listening to her pleading? Lilly didn't really think so.

"Oh, I know."Miley breathed out, "That's why you're gonna repay me in a different way." Lilly raised an eyebrow. "You're going to do the housework."

"Housework? For here?" Lilly questioned. She barely cleaned up for herself when she had the house before. Nothing was ever put in one place, it was either scattered on the floor or placed on the table where Lilly knew it would be.

"Well, duh, where else would you do it? Anyways, since it's only housework, it'll be easy." Miley turned her head to see Lilly fiddling with her fingers on her lap. Heh, she thought, payback is a bitch. "So, breakfast should be ready by seven in the morning."

"Hey," Lilly interrupted, "don't you have a maid already?"

"What?"

"You had a brown-haired maid, didn't you?"

Miley froze in her seat. How'd she…Who…What…"Weren't you sleeping? You-you must've been dreaming," Miley stuttered slightly. Crap, crap, crap…

Lilly mouth shrugged. Well, she was still drowsy from sleep and she was very hungry. So, she must've been hallucinating…

"Yea, yea you're right, I must've had one hell of a dream…" Lilly laughed nervously.

"Yea, okay…"Miley took in a breath and exhaled slowly. "Anyways, breakfast by seven in the morning."

Again, Lilly interrupted. "Seven AM?!"

Miley continued. "I like scrambled eggs with Belgian waffles. No butter, only syrup and powdered sugar." Miley grinned as Lilly gaped at her. "Also with non-fat milk."

Damn, that means I have to be up by six? I never wake up that early! "But-but you wouldn't even leave for work that early! And-and –"

"So? And I'm a clean freak, so everything _has_ to be spotless. Shining from top to bottom. Everything has to be in place." Miley clicked her tongue. What else, what else…"Oh and I'm a very private person. So I guess that means we're going to be living together and that might be awkward and all." Lilly nodded in agreement. "So, whenever I'm around in the house, I want you to stay in your room, okay? Good." Miley clapped her hands and walked over to the kitchen.

I can't believe it, Lilly thought. I just made an unfair deal with the devil…god help me…

"By the way," Lilly turned her head to see Hannah heading out the door. "I'm going out. When I come back, I want the kitchen, the bathroom, and the living room spotless." She took her jacket and purse and slid open the door. "Have fun!"

Lilly fell back in her seat and kicked aimlessly against the side of the couch. "Why me?"

----------

Driving on the way to the bar, she took off her wig and stuffed it in the dashboard. Wow, she thought. That was a rush. Being in charge like that was awesome. She could start to like doing this most of the time…

Her Sidekick beeped and Miley opened it and put it in speaker. Smiling she answered with a sweet voice, "Hello?"

"Hey Miley, I'll meet you there in fifteen?"

"Okay."

"Cool, see ya later," he said.

Miley blushed, even if he wasn't with her in the car. How does he even have that effect on her? "'Kay, bye Jake."

She hung up and set it down on the cup holder. She was waiting for this moment to come. Holding the small box in her hand, she put it in her purse, and wondered when the time will be right.

* * *

**Well, how bout that? Hannah and Lilly are living together! Under certain circumstances though. **

**Are you guys confused? Tell me if you are! And if you have any kind of thoughts, let me know, I'd love to hear from you!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Alrighty, chapter 5. We are inching OH-SO-VERY-CLOSE to the introduction chapter. Yes, we are _almost_ there. So stick with me! And um, I was just wondering. Do I have any other readers than my faithful and awesomely awesome reviewers? Becasue the folks who always leave a review are the same ones. It's not that I don't like them (_I love you guys SO F-ING much_), but I'd like to hear other people's feedback. Is that okay? Is that too much to ask for? Sorry, but I know it must be boring and you must be wondering, "WHERE THE HELL'S THE LILEY?!" It will come soon, I PROMISE. So leave a review so that we can move on smoothly!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters, the creators do.**

**P.S: People who want to see Emily and Miley in a jello wrestling match, say _AYE_. They should put in an episode with those two doing that. That'll be awesome to watch.**

**P.S.S: "Send It On" MV was HILARIOUSLY CHEESY. Should I mention the TOTALLY CLICHE PAIRS they put together? Nick/Miley, Joe/Demi, Kevin/Selena? I mean, everyone should've know that those pairs was BOUND to happen, right? EW to the cliched "Niley." UGH.**

* * *

The box she was holding felt outrageously big in her hands. The velvety texture started to soak up her sweat from her clammy hands and her head started to throb. Maybe it's too early, and maybe if I say it now, he's going to freak out. You know who he is, Miley closed her eyes and repeated to herself, he's a commitment phobe! Just take it easy and play by ear…

Miley took another swish from her beer and finished soundly. Yep, just play by ear and everything will be just fine.

"Hey Miley," a deep voice came from behind her. Miley smiled and turned around. He took her by the arms and enveloped her into his embrace. He smelt like a hint of thunder mint and a whole lot of Red Spice sprayed on him, which Miley eventually learned to deal with it. "I missed you," he kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey Jake, missed you, too," she hugged back just as tight and waited for him to let go first. She missed his scent (sometimes though) and his embrace. His warm, loving embrace. How Miley wanted to just stay there in his arms and let everyone else disappear.

"So, how are you? Did you get my texts and messages?" he asked as he called for the bartender. "Hey, um, scotch with ice." The bartender nodded and handed him a small glass of liquor.

"Yea, I sure did. Sorry I didn't reply though, got, uh, busy, backtracked." Miley tried to explain the easiest way possible. It was hard not telling someone else other than Marge about other things that happened in her life. But even if she did tell him, would he even care?

"Hey, it's okay. I mean, you're Ann-Ey Ontana-May," he whispered the last part. Miley giggled and nudged him by the elbow. "And you're freaking international and shit…"

"Yea, I guess," Miley blushed. Why is she blushing again? Well, it's Jake Ryan, that's a first. Her eyes wandered to his simple disguise: an LA Dodgers cap. Nice to see that he didn't go all out this time. "So, since when were you a Dodgers fan?"

"Since yesterday. I got it for only ten bucks. You like?"

"I love," Miley flirtatiously winked. "Fits you well."

It went like this for awhile, just some harmless flirting thrown at each other and goofing off like when they were back in high school. Back and forth they talked about the past and any upcoming projects. Miley couldn't help but just look into his eyes see how his blue eyes just shine from the dull lighting of the bar. She remembered when they told each other their biggest secrets (she being Hannah Montana and his real name being Leslie) and they became closer while they were dating. Back in the high school days, before she dropped out, she knew that they had a deep connection between them and somehow fate kept them together. That had to mean something, right?

"So, I have some really good news," Jake said as he gulped down the last of his scotch.

"Really," Miley asked as she did the same with her beer. Her mind started to reel in what could be good news. Could it be good news for him only or good news for the both of them? She crossed her fingers secretly for the second choice.

"You wouldn't believe it, but I finally get to work with Tom Cruise!" His gigantic smile forced her to smile with him too. Of course it had to be the former.

"Really? Man, Jake, that's awesome!" Miley looked into the center of her beer mug. "So, when do you start?"

"In three weeks! Can you believe it? Three weeks and I'm officially working with _the_ Tom Cruise." Jake rapped his fingers on the table. "Is something wrong? You're not…mad are you?

"No! No, of course not!" Miley gleamed to Jake, answering quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly. "Why would I be mad?" Miley turned her head away, facing away from him. Stupid! You are so freakin' stupid!

"Oh…"Jake responded sadly. "Well, last time I told you I was going to Bora Bora for filming, you didn't call me for two months, and ignored me when I came back to visit." He sighed and continued after a short silence. "Anyways, I'm filming in Europe for the next eight months. It might change though, I'm not sure."

"Uh-huh," she nodded. Well, she should've seen this from a long shot. After all it _was_ Jake Ryan. "Jake, can I ask you something?"

"Yea, sure, anything."

"Do you...Are you...If…" How should she say this? If she says it, it might turn out the wrong way. Jake looked at her and waited for the question.

"Do you want to have dinner on Friday? It'll be my treat. Just so we can celebrate your new film," Miley offered. This was not how she wanted it to go.

"Um, sure, yea, thanks!" Jake's expression changed from depressed to happy in a matter of seconds.

"Yea and we'll eat at your favorite restaurant." Miley smiled for real this time. Maybe it was a good idea to ask for dinner.

"Cool," Jake smiled to her and Miley thought she was going to die right then and there. A small beeping noise took over the silence and Jake excused himself. "Be right back."

"'Kay," Miley nodded him off and watched him head towards the restroom area. The bartender came and asked her if she wanted another drink. Instead of asking for a refill, she asked another question. "Do you think it's weird if a girl proposes to a guy?"

The young bartender shrugged and wiped the counter with his cold damp cloth. "I dunno, I mean it's kinda weird, but it's kinda out of the ordinary, y'know? Not many girls do that. But to the girls who actually ask, I gotta give'em props. It's hard to pop the question." He stopped wiping and looked to Miley straight in the eyes. "Why? Are you gonna ask that man who got the scotch?"

Miley sighed, not knowing if she should or not. "Who knows? If the Lord'll let me, I'll take the chance any time of the day." She rapped her fingertips on the surface of the counter.

"Well, if you are, best of luck to ya. My buddies who are married had lots of trouble. One of 'em actually fainted when he thought the girl said no, but really she said yes."

Miley eyed him. "You're not really helping me."

The bartender backed off. "Oh, sorry, I'll leave you alone then. Good luck."

Sighing again, she held her head in her hands. Were things ever going to go easy for her? It seemed like everything didn't want to go her way. This Friday was just going to be a typical dinner between good friends, nothing else. Except…maybe…Miley glanced to the small box sitting right next to her purse. Maybe Friday could be a special day…

"Hey Miley," Jake came from behind Miley again. Miley quickly threw the black box into her purse. "I'm sorry, but my agent just called me and I have to do a couple of phone interviews." Miley stood up and hugged him one last hug until Friday. "But hey, thanks for meeting up with me again. I'll see you in two days?" Miley nodded. "Okay," Jake kissed her quickly on the lips and sped off to the doors. "Bye!"

Her limp hand touched her lips as she waved to Jake until the doors closed shut. Yes, she was most definitely ready for Friday.

"Damn, girl, you got it _bad_ for him." A deep voice behind the counter shook Miley out of her trance.

Miley glared at him. "Shut up," she joked and slammed the tip on the counter. "Thanks." She walked out the door and went over to her Prius. All she could think about was Friday. Friday, Friday, Friday. Friday was D-Day. Was she actually ready for this?

----------

The buttons on the calculator clicked as it echoed through the house. A pencil was busily scribbling numbers on a notepad and Lilly was sure her body was going to fall apart. Cleaning the house from the ceiling to the little corners was hell, and it was the specific purpose why she didn't clean the house while she used to live there in her own. The house was big and it would take more than one person to make it 'gleaming' from head to toe.

"This is not impossible. If I wake up at six and cook dinner," Lilly counted furiously with her fingers, "okay thirteen hours, plus the three thousand, and the airplane tickets and concert tickets…" she mumbled and calculated everything on the notepad. "Oh no," she groaned. "Six thousand dollars? No way…" She sat down on the wooden chair in the kitchen table. I have to clean the house 24/7 and give back the three thousand? Ugh…Life sucks ass…"

And who was to blame? Jackson. Yes, blame Jackson, her best friend who then manipulated and blackmailed her to go to New York with a one way ticket and sold her house behind her back. That pain in the ass needs to be taken care off quickly and efficiently.

Getting up, she grabbed the vacuum and carried it up the stairs. Hannah's room, which used to be her own room, is the only room that has carpet. Great, she's only been here one day, and she already made a mess? Lilly doubted it, but she was a pop star and pop stars liked to party all the time and leave inconvenient messes.

She opened her door, but only to see that the only thing messy was her bed that was unmade. Well, she thought, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. She plugged in the vacuum and switched it on, beginning to suck up the dirt. If there is any dirt in there…

Back and forth, she pushed and pulled the heavy household instrument around the premises of the room. The apron she was wearing felt like it was going to suffocate her and her pigtail braids were all messed up. God, just kill me now! I hate cleaning someone else's crap, she whined.

Switching off the vacuum she began to make Hannah's bed. She remembered how odd it was in the laundry room. There wasn't any…laundry appliances in there. Lilly began to think if Hannah doesn't like to wash her clothes, but that thought left her since Hannah said herself that she was a total neat freak. But then how was she going to clean her clothes? Wash it in the beach or something?

Patting the bed's covers, she was finished with the housework. It was nearing six o' clock, and it was near dinner time. But this time, Lilly wasn't even close to hungry. Her whole body was pooped. She sat down on the bed and lay down. How long was this going to take? Her whole life? She hoped not.

Lilly turned to her side and glanced at the bedside table. It was covered with many picture frames and old necklaces and bracelets. She climbed out of bed and crawled to the table. The pictures, they were the same exact ones that Lilly saw in Hannah's purse over in New York. The middle aged woman with brown hair was in an individual frame with the phrase "Live. Laugh. Love" as the border. Was this her mom?

The next photo had a little brunette girl leaning her head a middle aged man with bob-ish dirty blonde hair and the two had the same colored eyes and nose. They looked close and so happy. Lilly wondered why all the pictures always had the same brunette girl with the dark blue eyes. Was it Hannah's sister? Hannah's long lost twin, only she just dyed her head blonde just so people can tell the difference? And were this man and woman her parents?

She opened the drawer and took saw a golden necklace that had the word "Miley" attached to it. "What's with the word Miley?" Lilly dug in more to see that it was a name, not a silly word. Who would name their kid Miley, she thought. She took out a wrinkled picture from the very bottom of the drawer to see the man, woman, and the brown-haired girl with –

"Jackson?!" What the hell was Jackson doing in there? And was the brunette chick the sister he was talking about last week? The one who got the tickets? Lilly turned it around to see names hand written on the back. "Susan, Robbie Ray, Jackson, and Miley Stewart 2007," Lilly read aloud. "The Stewart family? Who're they?" Lilly muttered to herself. Jackson seemed to be seventeen and 'Miley' seemed to be fifteen, the same age Lilly was in that year.

This is getting way too weird. She shuffled through more pictures and jewelry to find out who the Stewart's were and why they are so important to the pop star Hannah Montana. Maybe it's some family who sponsored her or some –

The door clicked and Lilly dropped everything she was holding. Her heart stopped beating and she couldn't breathe.

"I'm really, really sorry, I didn't mean to –" Lilly whipped her head around to see no one standing her down. She let out a breath and leaned her weight against the bed. She thought she was going to die right then and there. "Oh my god…"

She opened her eyes and looked to see that the room door didn't open, but the closet door did. The walk-in door closet, to be exact. It wouldn't hurt to take a peek, would it?

Lilly got up and walked over to the closet. When she opened it, she swore she was in a small clothing store. "Oh my god…Dang, look at those shoes!"

She scurried to the shoe section to see sneakers, sandals, boots, heels, literally any kind of foot wear racked against the floor. It must've been five rows aligned to the top, she thought. She looked around to see outerwear separated from tank tops and shirts and such. Pants, shorts, and skirts were racked along the bottom as long and formal dresses were aligned neatly above it. Wow, this is _amazing_.

Lilly walked over to the giant drawer dresser cabinet at the end of the closet and opened it. Whoa was the only word that could describe it. Latches automatically pushed out and drawers of bejeweled fingerless gloves, brand sunglasses, engraved microphones, and diamond jewelry shone in the light above Lilly. Then a light inside the cabinet lit up from the top and a faceless translucent wig stand.

Wait what? What's a wig stand doing in her cabinet?

The same blonde hair that Hannah has was placed on the plastic head in front of Lilly. She touched the synthetic hair carefully as it stuck to her clammy fingers. A mirror in front of Lilly reflected her gaping face. What was this stuff doing in here? What's a _wig_ doing in Hannah's cabinet?

"Oh no…" Was she…Does she-does she have…cancer? Lilly quickly let go of the wig and wiped her hands on her apron. "Oh my god, oh my god," she breathed. "Hannah Montana has cancer?" Chill, Lilly, chill…you must be overreacting.

Leaning against the shelf, she thought it over reasonably. No way, she does not have cancer. But wait, wasn't that why she was wearing a hat this morning? So she's really bald and she doesn't want to show it off because she's insecure…It explains so much now! Why she wants to keep everything clean, why she's always so grumpy! Lilly thought as she nodded and looked at herself in the circular mirror in front of her. Poor Hannah…Lilly pushed back the drawers and shook her head. It's so unfortunate for such a beautiful young star to have a horrible disease like that…

She turned off the lights inside the closet and walked back the bedside drawer. But who are the Stewart's? Well, first, they are Jackson's family, but what do they have to do with an international singer? Her thoughts became more confusing as she put everything away back as it was before.

But, who was that brunette chick that was standing in the kitchen and was wearing the same exact running outfit as Hannah? Lilly was _certain_ that she saw a woman with brown hair and long, tanned legs. She knows she was sick and hungry, but she was conscious to realize it. And her hair seemed similar to the Miley chick that was in the pictures…Wait a sec…

Why does Hannah need Lilly if she already has a maid? Did Hannah fire her for wearing such inappropriate clothing for work? Lilly looked down at herself. She didn't even have time to change her top but to only change from jeans to basketball shorts.

But it just didn't make any sense. Something just didn't click right. If Hannah did have cancer, she would've looked so damn skinny and pale and fragile, not tanned, well-figured, and strong. Well, she looks strong, and she likes to yell sometimes. So, that means the cancer thing just doesn't fit right with the puzzle. Or maybe it's the make-up at the works, but no, no way. Make-up doesn't work _that_ good.

So the cancer flaw, scratch that out, Lilly made a mental note. So then what's up with the wig?

Lilly saw a small light pink spiral notebook underneath all the scraps of old and wrinkled pictures. Warily, she took it out and saw Miley's Journal written on the cover. Okay. Who is this Miley chick and why the hell does Hannah have it, Lilly thought, frustrated that she can't figure it all out.

She took it out and opened it. Bubbly letters filled every single inch of each page and every time Lilly turned the page, that page made a crinkling sound and Lilly was scared that she could rip the page just by only touching it. Little music notes and small doodles of animal covered the small corners with different colored pens. Turning the page again, Lilly saw lyrics to Hannah's songs. Was this girl the inspiration for Hannah?

Another Kodak picture fell out of the book Lilly was holding. Damn, how many pictures does this girl have? Picking it up, she noticed how long (Lilly didn't know how to put it in other words) it was. It was longer horizontally, and she noticed that it was two pictures taped together. She flipped it over and observed the two together. Wow, a close-up picture of Hannah's and the Miley chick's face taped together. It was the first time Lilly noticed how similar they looked; the same nose, blue-gray eyes, slightly pouty lips, same length of cheekbones, and weirdly enough, Lilly looked very closely and saw the same freckles on both faces…huh…

The sound of a broken record struck Lilly's head. No. Way. She flipped it over, remembering that there was something written on it.

_Miley – whether you're up on the stage as Hannah or as Miley down at the schoolyard, always remember that I'll always be in your heart. Love always – Mom_

No. Way. No. Freaking. Way. Scratch out the twins idea, Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart _are_ the _same_ people! Oh my god, oh my god, this is huge!

A familiar door slammed and the house creaked. Crap, crap, crap. I'm not even supposed to be here!

Hurriedly, she neatly placed the picture in the book and jammed the book itself with other pictures into the drawer and slammed it shut. She then smoothed out the bed sheets again and the bedside table, rearranging them one by one. After, she ran to the vacuum, which was still plugged in, pulled it out from three feet away and rapidly pushed it towards the door.

"Shit!" she half-whispered as her foot almost got caught in the electrical cord. "Damn it!" Hopping in one foot while pushing out the vacuum out the room, she cursed silently as the lights went on. "Stupid cord," she muttered under her breath. Finally untangling it, she carried the vacuum by its handle and went to her room, quickly and quietly closed her door. Shaky and short breaths filled her head as with the blood gradually flowing back to her feet again.

Footsteps clunked up the wooden staircase and it was coming from the stairs right next to her room. Without any of the lights turned on in her room, Lilly crouched down and slowly opened her door. A pair of brown cowboy boots trudged along across Lilly's room to Hannah's room. Her breath hitched as her eyes went up to her waist, to her shoulders, and to her head.

As she was walking, Lilly watched her every move. It felt like everything was in slow motion. Hannah's left hand went up to the top of her head (Lilly went on with a play-by-play) and then grasped a handful of hair. Lilly held her breath as to what she did next. Hannah dragged the handful of hair down, and her head was now full of brown hair, cascading down to her mid-lower back. Her voice squeaked and Hannah-Miley stopped walking. Oh shit.

Without thinking, Lilly scooted the vacuum away and jumped face first on bed that was resting on the floor. A few empty boxes from the stacks next to her suitcase tumbled down and she thought she was going to die when her heart just literally stopped.

Closing her eyes, she took in deep breaths. No footsteps were heard and that means Hannah-Miley was probably beginning to get suspicious. Just think happy thoughts, Lilly. What was there to think about? All she could think about was that Hannah Montana is Miley Stewart, who's also Jackson's little sister! Was there any other news greater than this? Nope, not to Lilly at least.

"Okay then," a muffled voice Lilly heard from outside her door. She could see the woman's shadow from the door's window. Boots clicked against the hardwood floor and Lilly closed her eyes, exhaling harshly. All of a sudden, she felt really tired. She had no energy what so ever to get up and change out of her clothes and apron. Her eyelids felt heavy, but her mind was still alert.

Hannah Montana is a fake, Hannah Montana is a regular person, Hannah Montana is Jackson's sister, Miley Stewart. No, this-this just doesn't make any sense. She must've been cleaning so much that her mind must've taken too much Pine-Sol. Groggily, she glanced over to the alarm clock by the foot of her bed. It's only nine thirty and she felt like crap already.

It was a long time before Lilly actually fell asleep for real.

----------

The alarm beeped and her arm smacked it down on the floor. Her head was throbbing from the lack of sleep. She should've never invited him for dinner. What was she thinking? What the hell was going to happen between them? Oh god, why, _why_ did she just do that?

The smell of burnt waffles made Miley crinkle her nose and climb out of bed to see what's going on. From the railing of the hall, she glanced down to see Lilly sleeping on the kitchen table. The burnt smell filled the house even more and Miley went back inside to grab her wig.

By the time she went down, she unplugged the waffle maker and threw it in the sink, and steam rose and blinded Miley from seeing straight. Coughing, she waved it off and guided herself to the kitchen table. Damn smell is burning my throat!

"Hey! Wake up!" Miley shook the table and Lilly fell of her seat. "Get up!"

"What?"

"You nearly burned down the house! What the hell is wrong with you?" Miley stood closer to the girl who was on her knees. She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. "Well?"

"I-I…" Lilly wiped her eyes and squinted her eyes to see a tall angry woman standing her down. Suddenly, after looking at Miley for what seemed like the longest time, she stuttered. "Y-you-you-you're…oh my god. You're –" she kept on stuttering breathlessly.

"I'm Hannah Montana, and I think we have published that already. You," Miley pointed to her, "almost burned down my house. Did you know how dangerous that was? Sleep early next time!"

Lilly stood up and fired back just as strong. "Hey, for your information, I did sleep early. I slept at nine thirty." Yea, I went to bed at nine thirty, but didn't sleep at least until four in the morning because of the stupid Miley-Hannah thing. "So don't sass me, you selfish –"

"Hey!" Miley yelled and slammed the table. "You have no right what so ever to call _me_ selfish. _You_ are the one who's selfish. _You're_ the one who asked for three thousand dollars and got it without thanking me! Your provider! How selfish is that?"

"It's not my fault you left your purse in the airplane! Maybe you should thank me for bringing back your purse to you, because I know that you have important stuff in there," Lilly breathed out. She shoved past the singer and walked her way up the stairs. "And maybe you should just make your own breakfast! God!" She tore off the apron and threw it behind her shoulder.

Dear god, Miley thought. If she's going to wake up to her mornings like this, she will die at an early age. She didn't feel so hungry anymore and didn't even bother to change as she went to the jogging on the beach, the only way to let out her anger.

What was she angrier at? The fact that her maid just called her a bitch and selfish, and almost burned down the house, or the fact that she was stupid to enough to think that she was actually ready to ask Jake the big question?

----------

Wrapping a towel around her wet hair, Lilly switched off the heat and walked out to the kitchen. The waffle maker was still in the sink, along with everything else left sitting on the counter. Well, better clean up the mess before Ms. Clean Freak freaks out again. She scrubbed down the brunt bits off the waffle griddle and washed everything else. Why can't she just eat cereal instead? Better yet, how about toast? Everyone loves toast!

Her head ached as she finished cleaning up in the kitchen. She remembered having this terrible dream that Hannah Montana wears a wig. A blonde, synthetic wig. In truth, Hannah Montana isn't Hannah Montana. Hannah Montana is Miley Stewart. Miley Stewart has brown hair and is also Jackson's little sister.

"But it wasn't a dream…I saw the wig. I even saw her take the wig off." She sat down on the table and played with yellow strands of hair that was sitting on the table in front of her. It took her only a few minutes to finally realize what she was playing with. "Oh my god…it's the wig!"

She took her hands away from it as though it had rabies on it. She knew it doesn't, but she's still scared of touching Hannah Montana's wig.

The patio door behind her unlatched and she turned around to see who it was. It was her. It was Hannah Montana, but without the blonde hair.

Oh. Crap. What should I do now?

Both of the girls' faces paled and were frozen in place. The clock ticked with the waves' morning tide turning in. Now what?

"Look, I can explain," she started. "I –"

"What the hell are you doing here? I told you that you're supposed to stay in your room while I'm here!"

"Hey, I just took a shower! I'm living here, too, aren't I?" Lilly took in a breath. "But, I know who you really are, except I'm having trouble believing it.

Miley snatched the wig out of Lilly's hands and walked to the living room. Great. To tell the truth, she was thinking about telling her about the Hannah thing, but if she admits that she knows the truth, might as well just leave it alone.

"Aren't you going to tell me the truth? Why you're living as two different people?" Lilly followed her as she unrolled her towel crown.

Miley stayed quiet and turned on the TV, ignoring Lilly's questions. Lilly repeated her questions in a louder voice and Miley muted the volume. Sighing, she resumed with her answer.

"You wanna know? My real name's Miley Stewart. I'm just a regular girl who's secretly a pop star to hide just so she can live the best of both worlds." God, she hated that pun. "Get it? Got it? Good." She pointed the remote to the screen and raised the volume.

"Ha, 'Best of Both Worlds,'" Lilly chuckled. "Nice pun. But what's the point of living a secret life if you're continuously out as Hannah every single day?"

Boy, Miley had that question ringing in her ears ever since she made The Choice. She hated, _hated_, that question. "Just forget it okay?" Miley heaved a sigh as she got up to answer the phone. "Hello?"

"Just forget it okay? Geez, such a drama queen," Lilly mocked. Should she do something about this whole double life thing? If 'Miley' isn't so surprised about it, maybe Lilly should just call the press about it or something. But it wouldn't be in her place to just call her out. So, if 'Miley' isn't shocked about it, maybe she shouldn't worry about it, too.

"Okay…It's in the mail? Okay, when is it? Sunday? I thought it would be later than that…God, I don't have to call Stan do I? Okay good. I'll check the mail right now. Thanks, bye." Miley hung up and put the phone in the charger. She leaned a hand against the kitchen island and flapped her lips. "Okay, Lilly, listen up."

"Huh?"

"You can't tell anyone else about this, got it? Can_not_ tell anyone else about it. If you do," Miley began. Lilly sucked in a breath. "If you do, you're most definitely going to regret it." Her voice sound lethal and dangerous. Even Miley herself noticed how different she sounded. "So don't do anything rash, or else I could kick you out of the house and leave you homeless, 'kay?"

Lilly shuddered as Miley looked down closely on her. Her eyes seemed dark and cloudy, nothing what Lilly expected from an international pop star sensation. "Could you just back off? Maybe just a tad bit? You're kinda in my space," Lilly pushed Miley away from the shoulders, but she wouldn't budge. "Okay then, I'll just back away." But Miley moved forward every time Lilly took a step back.

The taller girl glared down directly into the other girl's eyes. "You have to promise me that this doesn't leave the house." She took one small step back and offered a hand to shake. "Deal?"

"Wait, if I do keep this promise, what do I get?"

"You get to stay in this house."

"With no housekeeping."

Miley mocked laughter. "Yea, right. No. No, you still have to pay me back."

Rolling her eyes, she accepted the deal. Better than no place to stay at all. "Fine," and with one firm shake, the deal was set.

"Good. Now clean up. I can sniff up the dust that's clogging up my throat and lungs." Miley turned on her heel and went out the front door.

Lilly resisted the urge to flip her off behind her back, but held her breath. "Hey," she shouted out. "Do you have any other secrets that I should know?"

"No, you don't!" Miley hollered from outside. "Now clean the damn house!" She took out a yellow business letter with the word 'confidential' stamped smacked dabbed in the middle. Ripping out the seam, she took out the thick piece of construction paper that was folded in half horizontally. It was embroidered in colorful fonts and features and was elegant yet outspoken. Miley liked that. She opened it and in cursive writing, it said:

_You are cordially invited to Hannah Montana's Masquerade party/private concert and Movie/CD promo._

Underneath it said the date and time and where the private party was going to be held. Miley remembered at least one thousand people were going to be invited, excluding the count of unwanted paparazzi. Her eyes glanced down on the date. It was going to be on a Sunday, two days after Miley was going to ask Jake. Then those two could go together, tell everyone that they're going steady. But that was just a thought. People might think she's going way too fast.

Walking back inside, she called Marge to confirm about the invite copy. While talking to her manager, she saw Lilly jumping up and down, trying to wipe the fifteen feet tall beach front windows.

"Damn windows, why'd you have to be so damn tall…why did you have to make them tall, Dad?" she muttered to herself as she was doing a jumping jack-like thing against the windows. "God-fucking-damn it…"

"Gimme this," Miley whispered under her breath as she still listened on to Marge on the phone. "Uh-huh, yea," she replied back, not paying attention to the conversation. She was actually paying attention to show Lilly how to wipe the windows. "Like this, see?" She wiped the cloth on the window up and down, rather than just simply wiping it to leave streaks.

"Oh, okay I get it…How 'bout this window?" Lilly pointed to the window next to her and Miley moved to it and resumed wiping as she was talking to Marge. The blonde smirked to herself as she crossed her arms, watching the other girl unknowingly cleaning them.

Too bad for Miley she noticed she cleaned every single window for Lilly when she hung up the phone. She stood up from squatting and simply threw the wet rag on Lilly's face, glaring at her. Angry, she threw the yellow envelope on the living room table, grabbed a book, and went outside to sit on the homemade wooden swinging chair in the backyard.

"Hey!" Lilly tossed the rag in the bucket of water sitting two feet away from her. Her eyes glanced to where Miley threw the envelope. She walked down and opened it up. Then she thought, This is the perfect opportunity to get a job in journalism! Many of paps will be there and she could just give them her copy of her recent commentary and/or her fictional story (which Lilly had so much fun writing. It was a pregnant woman trying to find who was the father to her child). Yes this was perfect.

"Hey," Lilly walked outside and stood in front of Miley. "Wait, what am I supposed to call you? Hannah or Miley?"

"Miley," the brunette muttered, who was intensely immersed in the book she was reading.

"Okay, then, Miley," the name was still foreign in her tongue, "I have to go to this party. You have to give me an invite to this."

Miley looked up from her book and stared at her for awhile. In only a few seconds without a reply, she continued reading.

"Please, please, please, _please_ can I go to your party? This will be great for job hunting! I mean, plenty of newspaper and magazine people are going to be there right?" Miley remained reading her book. "You said that I should be looking for a job, right? Well, this I should go!"

Miley rolled her eyes and closed her book. "No."

Lilly whined. "Why not?"

"You need to clean. You have to clean. Cleaning my house is your job, and right now, you are wasting time. Now go away."

Muttering a few curses, Lilly stomped her way back to the house, but then only to come back out to push the swinging chair by kicking the seat. She humphmed as Miley groaned falling face first into a healthy patch of grass.

"Argh…damn you!" Miley got back up and made her way back in. The nerve of this woman… "Hey, I'm hungry. Go cook something."

"You still trust me to cook after I nearly burned down the house," Lilly mocked Miley's previous rant. She passed by the taller girl and dumped the filthy water to the grass.

"I'll be watching you cook breakfast, lunch and dinner from now on. Now go, cook. Make lasagna." She smirked as she propped her elbows on the kitchen, watching her roommate-slash-maid do all the work.

Gaping, she went to the kitchen with hands on hips. "You're crazy, we don't even have the ingredients to make lasagna!"

"Well, look in the refrigerator. I bought a tray from Costco last night. Chill man, all you have to do is just heat it up." Miley teasingly smiled to her as she took out the cold tray of premade lasagna from the fridge. While she was watching Lilly preheat the oven, she questioned Lilly, "So how'd you find out about my secret?"

Lilly faced away from her and pretended to be occupied with the oven. Shoot, what the hell am I going to say? "Well…I was cleaning the house…and…"

"And?" Miley raised an eyebrow. "What, you saw my wig or something?"

"Well, yea…and I coincidentallysawyourpicturesonyourbedsidetable." Lilly turned around and smiled to Miley. Unluckily for Lilly, she understood what she said.

"You _what_?! I specifically told you that I need my privacy! And that's why I needed my privacy! What the hell is wrong with you, thinking you can just barge into other people's rooms! Are you deaf or something?!" Miley yelled out all in one breath.

Lilly winced and laughed nervously. "Yea, um, I have no excuse for that. I'm sorry." And she meant it. She never fakes an apology. "But y'know," Lilly brought herself back together, "you are eventually going to have to tell me about your secret. It's not like you have to dress up and wear your wig every single morning," she spelled out. "I would have no patience to put up my hair and just wear the same wig over and over again."

Miley shook her head and made her way to sit on the kitchen table, facing away from Lilly. She couldn't believe her. She should've gotten a lock on the door, she really should've. But she also had to admit, Lilly was right. Miley did have to tell her about the Hannah-Miley secret, eventually.

When the lasagna was ready to eat, Miley was still peeved and Lilly was still flushed in embarrassment.

----------

Miley paced the whole kitchen as she held the velvety black box in her hands. She was doing the right thing, isn't she? She likes Jake, a lot. Maybe even love him. Yes, she is ready; she's ready to make a commitment with Jake. But was Jake ready for her? That was the only thing that was scaring her to do it.

"I really like you…"she started. "Stay by my side…" Miley winced. God that sounded really awkward. Shit how the hell was she going to do this?She doesn't want to beg for him to stay with her. She's asking for his hand in marriage, that's all.

Walking over to the sink, she started over. "I've liked you so much for the longest time." She stared into the puddle of water slowly draining into the sink's hole. "I want you by my side. I love you, Jake." She sighed and closed her eyes. "Will you marry me?" It sounded so strange coming out of her mouth, like she's forbidden to say it.

Why was she so worried about? It's Jake! She's known him since high school and they were co-stars. They've been through many ups and downs a lot, but they can make it work…right? Why did she doubt their relationship? What was there to doubt? Other than the constant break-up/make-up thing, but other than that.

"Marry you? Who would want to marry a girl like you?" a voice came from a few feet in front of her. Miley flashed her eyes open and looked up. Of course, Lilly. "What're you doing here so late at night? Are you practicing your lines?"

Miley ignored her questions. "What are _you_ doing up? You're supposed to be in bed. You're gonna wake up early and make my breakfast, remember?"

Lilly turned on the faucet and put her mug underneath it. "I'm thirsty. Move, I need water," she nudged Miley out of the way. "And could those lines be any more cheesier?"

"Hey!" The brunette sighed and looked at her. "I…did _not_ make those lines up. They were from a movie…I did…awhile ago…"she settled for an improvise. "I'm just helping out a friend who's trying on to pop the question, okay?"

"Uh-huh, sure. Whatever you say."

"Listen, okay, I don't care if it's cheesy or not, but you need to go back to your room."

Sighting, the blonde finished drinking her water and set it down on the stainless steel sink. "How would you like toast for breakfast?" she offered. The other girl shook her head and pointed up the stairs. "Aw, c'mon, how could you not like toast?"

"No, I want Belgian waffles, and that's final. Now go." Miley jerked her hand towards the stairs.

"Fine…But, lemme just tell you as a person who's sane: those lines are crap. I'd feel sorry for the dude who's asking for your help." She mocked her previous dramatic questions, "Oh, please stay by my side," the light twinkled in her eyes. "Oh, how I love you so! Marry me!" Laughing, she nudged the other girl. "So childish and corny. Seriously, you're an actress. Improvise some lines. Please do something else then those stupid lines."

Cracking her neck from her pent-up anger, she tried to ignore her innocent insulting, unbeknownst to Miley's real story. "Here's a reminder for you then, you're a maid. By ten AM, I want the bathroom, living room, and kitchen _spotless_. Especially the bathroom, I hate hard water stains, 'kay?"

Gaping, Lilly scoffed and walked up the stairs, shaking her head in disbelief. All have to be done by ten in the morning? Was she even going to check them all? Shit, man!

Miley rolled her eyes and sat down on the table. God help me now…I'm in for it big…

Tomorrow…Friday…She _is_ ready for this. She really is. No one or nothing could stop her now.

But only from Jake himself. Crap.

* * *

**Ay dios mio! Miley/Jake drama! So Lilly knows the whole Miley-Hannah sha-bang by snooping into stuff that doesn't even belong to her (yet again). How many more times will Lilly snoop around before she'll be caught red-handed?! ROFL. **

**Up next, more Miley drama with Jake and the 99.9% probability of Lilly seeing Jackson for the first time ever since the 'incident' with the house. How will Lilly take care of it? How will Miley ask Jake? How will Jake react??? When will I update again? I DON'T KNOW. (but don't let that stop you from giving up faith on this story)**

**Click the button underneath if you have any thoughts. I'm dying to hear what you guys think about this. AND THAT INCLUDES ALL OF YOU GUYS WHO ARE READING THIS STORY. Thank you.**


	7. Chapter 6

**To the people who got my message to leave a review, thank you. I'm SO happy that some people left a review! Ah, you guys don't know how happy you've made me...Anyways. Chapter six! I sorta liked this chapter. And there's a bit of Lilly-angst in the beginning, so...I've actually planned Lilly's character plotline to be like that, so don't go freaking out on me.**

**School started last Wednesday, and we've gotten a ton of homework, so I've been going back and forth. I'm supposed to be doing my homework, but I can't let you guys wait any longer. Y'all are too darn AWESOME!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of it's characters, the creators do.**

**P.S: Liam Hemsworth and Miley Cyrus? I APPROVE. Even if they aren't, lol At least Liam such a jerk to Miley unlike Nick, or a fame-attention seeker like Justin (Although, I'm pretty okay with Justin/Miley, since they made up and all). But Niley? I _DO NOT_ APPROVE.**

* * *

"You happy there, Ms. Miley? I cleaned the bathroom, just like you said!" Lilly puffed as she carried the worn out Mr. Clean sponges along with two buckets of dirty water to the backyard. She tossed the water out to the dry grass area and threw away the sponges. She walked back to see Miley reading and watching TV. "There, I finished everything! Oh and look at the time. It's nine fifty-eight!" Lilly grinned a toothy smile and did a little victory dance. "Oh, and don't forget, I also made Belgian waffles with scrambled eggs, just like what you wanted."

"Oh great, good for you. Maybe with your spare time, you can find another job," Miley deadpanned as she flipped another page. Natalie Cole and Nat "King" Cole blared from the TV speakers, singing _Unforgettable_.

"I could if I could go to your party," Lilly pointed out again to what seem like the umpteenth time.

"Why do you even need to go to my party to find a job?"

"Because there are lots of people who work in the journalism area, and I want to work there. Maybe even a screenwriter who wants to co-write a screenplay. I can just give them a copy of my work."

Miley looked up from her book to see Lilly standing with her hands on her hips. Scoffing, she went back to her book. "Who would want to read your stuff? I bet it's as stupid as you are," she bluntly stated.

Lilly gasped and pouted. "Hey, you haven't even seen my work. And you don't even know me that well, geez. Who are you to call _me_ stupid?"

"Huh, even Jackson, your 'best friend,' said that you're a naïve little girl who got easily got tricked by free tickets." Miley cleared her throat and flipped another page.

Lilly muttered under her breath and took off her apron. "I'm going out."

"Oh, if you are, buy some food at Safeway on your way out. We need some fruits, primarily bananas, strawberries, and pluots, 'kay? Money's on the island," Miley smiled as Lilly sneered at her. "Walk safely, wouldn't want you the house to get all dusty, now would we?" she teased as she whistled to the father and daughter duo from the TV.

Reluctantly, Lilly grabbed the cash and walked out the door, leaving Miley alone in the vacant two story house. How she wanted to choke her so badly. So what if she's a freaking international pop star sensation? Her sick arrogant attitude is what made Lilly want to jump off a cliff. Does she really think that she's all that? Damn, if all super stars were like 'Hannah,' Lilly should've known better not to give them anymore praise than they should get.

She stopped at the bus stop and waited for the bus that goes near downtown. It only took twenty minutes for the time to pass and Lilly sat in the middle row, looking out to the beach.

She missed surfing dearly. She missed skateboarding. She missed her family. Mom and Ian are no longer here and who the hell knows where Dad is, she thought sadly. For so long, she tried to blame her dad, but she just couldn't. Her dad was the one who wanted to build and produce the house in the first place, just so the family could stay together, be closer than ever.

But that didn't last for long. Ian joined the Marines five years after the house was made. He came back though, two years after, but only stayed for two weeks. Two weeks were nothing compared to two long, unbearable years. The two weeks came and went and Lilly and her parents were left alone again in Malibu.

About a year and a half later, news was sent to the Truscott family. It was from then on they found out that they were no longer a family of four, but only of three. Ian and his warship were bombed and attacked, sunk to the ocean floor, nothing but scraps of metal were found.

Lilly winced as the bus hit a bump on the road. She hated that feeling. The feelings of pure agony, hatred, depression, sadness, despair. She wished none of it came true, she wished Ian had listened to her parents and never went to war. What was the good that came out of war? Nothing! Not only does war lose lives, it also breaks families apart.

Maybe only a year or so after Ian's passing, Lilly's parents decided it was best to divorce. Her dad wanted to move on from his son's death, but her mom kept on clinging to the past, living each day as a heavy burden. They fought constantly and the Full House was no longer the house they wanted it to be.

Lilly was only starting her senior year when her parents' divorced. She and her mom kept the house while her dad went away without giving word to where he is now. If anything could get any worse than this, Lilly would kill herself. But she didn't.

After the divorce, it struck her mom real hard. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings; it's as if she were the only one in the world. Co-workers tried to help her get some therapy, but she just waved them away. She even became distant towards Lilly, her own daughter. Lilly tried to help her with the housework and by working part time after school, but it didn't help at all.

One day, while Lilly was still in school, she got news that her mom got in a car accident. She almost forgot what that feeling was like, but she could compare it to the day when she found out Ian died. Only worse, if that was possible.

The principal drove her to the hospital to find that Ms. Truscott was in a coma. It was too late, Lilly thought, too late. What was the point if she wasn't to respond back to her? She waited all day, all night. No response. But one day, she woke up.

But that didn't last for long either. Her mom woke up to see Lilly holding her hand with bloodshot eyes. Only her eyes spoke and Lilly understood what her mom meant. Time to let go of the past.

She didn't want her daughter to cling on to past miseries, just like she did with Ian's death. Just let go and everything will be fine, she told her silently. And she did. And it hurt just as it did before. What was she to do now?

Lilly remembered the immense pain she felt on those last weeks of high school. People gave her the eye, gave her pity, too much pity that it sickened her even more. So if this was the price of her continuing her school life, there was no point in finishing it. By graduation, she decided not to continue in college, even if she only got a semester's scholarship to UCLA. What's the point if people were still going to pity her loses? It'll hurt her and she couldn't be able to let go of the past. There were always lonely nights in a vacant house…it was like hell on earth. She eventually cried herself to sleep every night.

Then Jackson came along. He was the one who turned things around for her. He made her skate, surf, go out to the beach, do other outdoor stuff all over again. Jackson turned her life around and changed her. But what Lilly couldn't understand was how could he just backstab her like that so easily? Was she so blind?

When he sold the house behind her back, she couldn't believe it. How could he? How could he just simply _do_ that to her? He knows that that house was the only thing that kept Lilly together with her family spiritually. She never left the house, which is why she got so excited when Jackson gave her the free tickets.

God damn it, I so freaking stupid! She stepped out of the bus and took in a deep breath. Fuck Jackson and his stupid sister. Why were they always ganging up on her?

"Well, baby, I can't wait to see you in two days." That voice, it sounds so damn familiar. "It wouldn't hurt to give me one more kiss, would it?"

Lilly looked left and right to see where that voice was coming from. Finally, she saw a glimpse of a dirty blonde head leaning into a long, bleached blonde head of hair underneath an umbrella to shade them from the sun. Him. Jackson. God, the nerve of him! Does it run in the family or something?

Breathing became tenser, jaw clenching, eyes glaring, steps became heavier and louder at each step she took. "_Jackson_!"

The boy whipped his head around with a horrified look gulped. "I'll-I'll uh, I'll see you later, Gracie," he laughed nervously. "Bye!" He knocked his plastic chair over and jumped over the little green gate and ran towards the narrow one-way street. How the hell did she find out where he was?

Lilly screamed her absolute loudest and hollered his name again. Who the hell cares what the bystanders think about her. She ran after Jackson as fast as she could, jumping over little obstacles people dropped while Lilly pushed them out of the way.

"_Jackson_!!! You little piece of crap! Get back here!" she puffed out. Running in flats isn't exactly the best thing to wear when chasing after someone in an uneven road. God, the title "King of the Jerks" fits him well, same to his sister, but only "Madam Queen of the Jerks."  
He turned a sharp corner, which he nearly tripped over a trash can and made Lilly catch up a couple feet behind him. Lilly still screamed his name and cursed loudly after him. People around them looked around in suspicion, wondering if they should intervene between the two sprinters.

Luckily for Lilly, Jackson tripped over a manhole and rolled over to the sidewalk, knocking over the recycling bin. Quickly, she took off her shoes that kept on slipping out whenever she took a step (now just imagine her running in them!). "Alright, Jackson, you backstabbing piece of sh –"

"No wait! I-I-I can explain, just let me explain it to you!" Jackson pleaded as he covered his face. "Please, Lilly, just listen to me!"

Lilly didn't even bother to listen to him. She instantly hit him by the slightly pointed heels on her flats again and again, making sure Jackson cries in agony. "How" –hit– "could" –hit– "you" –hit– "do" –hit– "this" –hit– "to me?!" She screamed again, grabbing plastic soda bottles that have fallen on the floor and hit them on Jackson. She then threw them away and pulled him up by the ear.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow! L-Lilly! OW!" Jackson cried out, trying to pry out her fingers from pinching his ear. "Let go! Ow!!!"

"You're pathetic, you know that? You _lied_ to me. You _used_ me. Most of all, you _hurt_ me. You're a fucking piece of crap! Damn it Jackson, I trusted you and this is what I get?" She threw him to the ground and he fell face first. "Fuck you Jackson!" Most bystanders standing around 'oooh-ed' at Lilly's statements.

"J-Jackson…Are-are you okay?" a timid voice came from a good fifteen feet away from the quarreling twosome. "Is-is this your ex?"

"No, baby, no! But just stay there, 'kay? Just stay there; everything will be taken care of – OW! Lilly! Stop pulling on my ear!"

"Oh, is little Ms. Bleach Blonde scared of her stupid backstabbing boyfriend who's going to _die_?! C'mon, Jackson, you're coming with me!" Again, Lilly dragged him by the ear while people stopped and stared.

"Oh my god, oh my god, J-Jackson, I-I think I'm gonna…" The bleach blonde's voice seemed faint and a light thud was heard as she hit the recycling bin that rolled across the street. Lilly looked back and forth, from Jackson to the girl lying on her back on the ground. Shit.

Jackson pushed Lilly away and picked Gracie up piggyback style. "Dear god, she has this anxiety problem with her heart, quick, Lil, you've got to help me!"

Lilly herself forgot what she was doing before and helped as quickly as she can. "Okay, okay, wait, lemme just get a cab. C'mon!" She led Jackson through the main street and excused people out of the way. "Coming through, person with a heart issue coming through. Move it! Seriously people!" Little children cried as she pushed them away. "I'm sorry," she passed by a few adults, "but we have a serious issue here!"

"C'mon Lilly! Get a cab or something!" Jackson pleaded. "Hurry, my thighs are starting to cramp up!"

"Okay, okay! Hold on!" Lilly whistled a few cabs to stop, but none ever stopped to even look at her. "Damn it!" Impatiently, she counted to three and jumped in front of one cab. It honked right at her face and Lilly apologized. "Jackson, here, I got you a…cab…" Lilly looked around to see where Jackson and the blonde went. Damn it. She did not just fall for it again, did she?

Hell yea, she most definitely did. She waved to the cab driver who was glaring at her to drive on. Was she really that stupid to fall for Jackson's stupid tricks again? Not wanting to believe it again, she looked left and right and up a few corners along the way. Shit. He bailed on her. Again. And this time, his bleach blonde bombshell was in it with him.

Screaming, she made her way to the community park and sat on the creaky old bench. Twice, he tricked her. No, three times. He lied to her. He gambled again after he promised to her that he wouldn't anymore. No, four times. He lied to her again right now!

Losing her brother, losing her family, losing her mom, lost and betrayed by a friend, losing Full House…losing her life. What else does she have that's valuable? All she could think of was nothing. That was it; she has nothing left to lose. Everything she owned or had, gone.

Furiously, she wiped away her tears and put on her flats again. Her feet were scratched from running to get the cab for Jackson. Of all the things she does for a friend, she gets this as her reward. It isn't fair, she thought, it isn't fair.

Screw this shit. Eventually, she decided to walk back home instead of taking the bus back.

----------

It was seven fifty-six. This was it. She _is_ ready for this. Whatever the answer maybe, she will take it like a good sport.

She fixed her skirt and clutched her purse to her side. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the restaurant and waited for the maître'd to call her up for her reservation.

The restaurant was practically filled and in the front was a line that crossed the next restaurant. She never knew it would be _this_ crowded. Did someone tell the manager of the building that Jake was going to be here? She hoped not. Maybe she should move, go to the private balcony where they could see the moonlight accompanied with the stars and the calming waves a couple feet away from them.

People started to whine and cramp up the atmosphere from the main door. Yep, she should move up.

"Excuse me, waiter, is it possible that I may use the private balcony? It's not reserved, right?"

The waitress nodded and led her up the flight of stairs. It was a beautiful scenery of the starry night sky. The waves crashed underneath them as the moon shone on the serene waters. Miley sighed contently. Her gut was telling her that this whole thing has got to be a miracle. Who knew she got this far in her plan?

"I will escort the rest of your party up here the moment he arrives," the waitress bowed and left the menus on the table. The breeze was nice and cool, not windy and gusty. The humidity of the afternoon was slowly starting to ease down.

When should she ask? After the dinner? Or before the dinner and so then they could just eat in happiness? No, she should just play by ear and find out when would be the right time. Deep breaths, Miley, deep breaths. 'What if' questions rang through her head again and again as she kept on refolding the clothed napkin sitting on the plate. No, the more she thinks about what will happen, the more anxious she will get. Just go with the flow, go with the flow…

She looked around to see the balcony. There were only three tables outside, including the one Miley was sitting on. They had the middle table, and they would be all alone outside. No one would bother them Sighing she glanced at her watch. It was only eight fifteen. Where was Jake? Chill, Miley, it's only been ten minutes.

"Excuse me Miss, your party is here," the waiter from before shook Miley out of her worrying and stepped out of the way to let the blonde man get through. "I'll be back to get your orders."

"Jake!" Miley hugged him tightly. He breathed out and chuckled. "I'm sorry, did you have a hard time getting here?"

"Nah, these sunglasses worked perfectly fine. People were busy to even notice me," he shrugged as he slipped his Ray Bans into his jacket pocket. "Did you wait long?"

Miley shook her head. "No, actually, you're pretty early this time," she smiled.

"Really? Ah, that must be a new record then."

She bit her lip and smiled nervously. Frick, she needs to calm the hell down. Her heart was beating abnormally, like when she had her first concert awhile back. Stop it, anxiety sometimes makes the situation worsen.

"So, are you gonna order the usual?" Miley flipped open the leather-covered. The dessert section gave her a wonderful idea. She should ask when the dessert comes around. Yes! That's a perfect idea! Miley smirked to herself and put the menu down. "I think I might order the small home cooked dinner."

"Ah, I'm goin' with the home made Jambalaya. They make the best ones here." Jake gave a toothy grin, just like how Miley remembers it back in the day. "Alright, I'm ready."

A different waiter came over and wrote down their orders. "I will be back with your drinks. Thank you very much." He bowed again and excused himself back inside.

"Wow, these guys are a lot more formal last time I came here. Wonder what happened?" Jake eased the tension around them. "So, I heard that you have a party coming up? Is it going to be big?"

"Nah, I don't think so. It'll be the same as usual. And of course, the paparazzi. Who could forget about them?"

"Yep, they bring life to the party," he sarcastically replied. "Yea…"

Miley giggled and cleared her throat. "So, any news on your co-stars?"

He cleared his throat and fiddled around with the utensils on the table. "Not really. They're still trying to pick which one to be my 'lover' in the story."

"Ah. Too bad Hannah can't do it," she winked, "or else it could've been way easier for the directors to choose," she teased. She wished she could do it, but she already has a new album coming out, along with a movie in a few weeks. She definitely needs a break from those sleepless nights. "Listen, Jake," she gulped.

"Yea?"

"I-I have to tell you something…"

"Okay…" He huffed and set his hands on the table.

"But, uh, it has to wait until after we eat dinner though." Damn it Miley that was stupid! What was the point in telling him then? Argh!

"Why do we have to wait until then? I mean, we're waiting for our food right now. Might as well just say it to me now."

Miley shook her head. "No, you have to wait." Crap what did I get myself into…

"Aw, c'mon," Jake pushed, "please? Say it now?" he pouted playfully.

She chuckled and shook her head again. "No!"

"Well, could you give me a hint then? Just on what it's about?" he pressed on.

"Well…about you…going to Europe…and other stuff." Miley looked away to ocean. Couples walked along the beach line, laughing and running as if they have nothing to lose. Jake stayed quiet and looked at Miley. "But yea, just that. Nothing else…"

"Oh…yea. I've gotta agree with you. It would be nice if Hannah came with me," he winked to her and she blushed.

The waiter finally came with their food and drinks. "I hope everything you see here is good. If you need anything else, just wave. Enjoy."

"Wow, that was certainly quick," Miley thought aloud. "Mmm, your Jambalaya looks pretty good."

Jake nodded as he got to his first bite. A short dinner conversation passed on between the two as they ate quietly. Jokes and stories from high school were reminisced and laughed at. Before they knew it, their plates were empty and they were stuffed.

"Wait, we have to order dessert! We've never left this place without buying the cheesecake!" Jake exclaimed as he waved to the waiter nodding towards them. He talked to the waiter and pointed out which cheesecake they usually order while Miley stared at him

This was it. It's time. She took in a breath from her nose and out her mouth. Okay, everything is set. When the dessert comes out, she'll ask. The box in her lap seemed to weigh her legs down against the seat.

Her heart was beating harshly against her ribcage as she inched the velvet box up to the table. Screw this; I'm going to ask him right now.

"Jake," Miley started right when Jake closed the dessert menu, "I…the thing I wanted to tell you…"

"Oh yea, about that. What is it?"

"Well, y'know how long we've been together and, uh, our," she gulped, "history back then…well, the truth is, I want to stay with y –"

"Hold on, lemme just take this," Jake held his hand up and excused himself. Damn it! She didn't even finish the first line yet! What kind of phone call was so important to him more than her?

A few minutes later he came back and apologized. "Sorry, that was the producer of the movie. They already picked my co-star! But enough about that, what were you going to say?"

"That's great! But…yea…um…I want to stay with you…for –"

"I'm really sorry, just, just hold on a sec."

Okay, for real now? Miley wanted to chuck that stupid phone out to the water beneath them, and she should have. She was all ready the second time, for Pete's sake! From the corner of the balcony, she heard Jake's voice starting to rise in temper.

"What? You said in a few more weeks! This-this is unexpected!" Miley stood up from her seat and held the tiny box in her hand tightly. She heard him sigh in anger stuffed his phone in his pocket. She did not like where this was going…

"Hey, is everything alright?" She walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. He pushed it away.

"No! Right when they already got my partner, they wanted to get on with it right away." He turned to Miley and looked at her straight in the eyes. "I'm sorry, Miley, but I have to go now." He hugged her tightly and just like before, he was gone right before her eyes.

What…the…hell? No, Miley was not going to let this be. She ran after Jake inside the restaurant with her purse in tow. How, what is going on with him? Why is he just ditching her like this now?

"Hey, Jake, wait! Why are you leaving like this?" They pushed a few people out of the way and stood on the sidewalk, next to the valet.

"Look, Miley, I'm sorry, but my manager said they moved my flight up. I have to go now or else I'm screwed." The black convertible screeched to a sudden stop next to them. Jake grabbed the keys from the young valet and walked over to his car door. "You have to understand, this means everything to me."

Miley knitted her eyebrows together from crying in front of him. So filming movies is more important to him than having a best friend? Wow, she should've seen this coming. "Jake…"

"I'll call you later," he winked and ducked his head into the car. The tires squealed against the blacktop and left Miley with the smoke coming from the friction of the tires.

Did-did something just happen? What the hell just happened? Jake just _left_ her? Without saying anything else? Wha-what just –

"Excuse me Miss, your car is ready." Her car keys jangled in front of her face and she grabbed it away from the man's hands. She glared at him, wiped her tears away. Without a thanks or a tip, the valet was left speechless. Screeching tires once again rubbed harshly against the pavement, leaving everyone else to contemplate on what just happened in front of them

The valet was sure that thick tire marks were going to show on the street's blacktop the next morning.

----------

She came home really late. It was almost ten when she came home. What was she doing the rest of the time? Oh, right. Just thinking about what life would be like without miseries. It was a nice long (really long) thought.

Her feet were starting to ache as she took off her shoes and slipped on her slippers in the house. She spent all her money for the bus ride home instead of buying fruit, just like what Miley told her to do this morning. Oh well, she could explain, right?

It was beginning to seem pretty dark outside on the backyard. Lilly turned on the lights and saw a figure standing outside, looking out to the beach. The light from inside the house gave Lilly a better view of what Miley was wearing. All formal with a black knee high skirt and a gray blouse. Her brown hair was wavy and long, falling heavily against her back. What was she doing alone outside this late at night? Lilly decided to find out.

"Hey, it's cold out there. Maybe you should get in," she offered, opening the patio door. The other girl turned around with an angered face that scared Lilly and made her shudder. Lilly watched the girl's every move as she stepped aside to let her in and sit on the kitchen table behind her. "So, what's the occasion?"

Miley stayed quiet and kept looking and playing at the black box in her hands. Why did he just leave like that? She knows it's for the movie business, but Jake wouldn't just leave so abruptly like that. It's…not really like him. He would've stayed until they said their good-byes formally. It's not that Miley's upset that she didn't get to ask (well, yes, she was, but it wasn't really the bigger picture now), but she was frustrated by Jake's sudden farewell.

"Here, looks like you need some." Miley looked to Lilly who was handing her a can of beer. She licked her lips and pulled the can tab open as it made a loud hiss then pop. Miley slurped up her drink and set it down hard against the table. The beer did nothing for her.

The blonde sat cross legged in the chair across from Miley and set the can down. "Your brother," her voice filled the house, "is the only person whom I could trust. And he broke it. After a good five years, he freaking broke it. How could I trust him now?" Her voice, as well as her eyes, started to sting. Miley glanced up to her.

"The house, too," she continued. "I mean, he'd know that this was the only thing I'm connected to after all of that had happened. And he still wants to do that to me. I don't owe him anything. I don't owe anything to anyone." Lilly stopped. "Except for you thought, but really, anyone else…"

Miley took another can and gave it to Lilly. "Just drink. Jackson's stupid. You've learned your lesson; don't trust him again."

Lilly squeezed her fists together and shook her head. She has to move on about this. "So, did you ask?"

"What?"

"You're all dressed up and stuff, and I'm pretty sure those lines you were practicing were for yourself," Lilly sipped loudly.

"No, they weren't. They were for a friend. I was there with him."

"Oh…then why are you so sad?"

Miley rolled her eyes. "None of your business okay?"

"Okay, fine…" Lilly played around with her can and scrunched her nose. "Mind telling me what happened?"

The brunette sniffed and sighed. "My friend, the guy, he wanted to propose to the girl but, uh…" Miley gulped and inhaled. "He loved her so much for the longest time…but the thing is that the chick had to go off to the other side of the world, and he wanted to say it to her before she goes away."

Lilly perked up. "Then what?"

"He said it, but the girl never listened. She was always interrupted by a phone call."

"That's rude! She should always turn off her phone during a romantic dinner."

Miley nodded, but Lilly didn't notice. "In his mind, he always repeated, "I love you," "Don't go," "Stay with me."

"But he couldn't tell her right away, right?" Lilly interrupted again. Miley stopped and raised an eyebrow. "And you said this girl had her phone on the whole time. So she must've been the kind of girl who thinks that work goes first before love."

"Uh-huh," Miley sat up straighter.

"Or, maybe, she was calling in on different guy, then ditched the guy who was sitting in front of her, leaving him all alone in the restaurant, telling him it's work, it's just work. Business before love. But really, it's just about another guy…"

Miley shot her eyes out. "You think it's another guy?" her voice seemed a bit strangled, with a bit of jealousy. Jake, lying to her about another girl? No way…but then again, it _is_ Jake Ryan…"How do you know that?"

"Psh, I'm a writer, didn't I tell you?" Lilly waved her hand.

Miley scoffed and leaned back in her seat again. "Ha, like you know how to write…" What the hell was she so worried about? She got worked up over a 'writer's' imagination… which was partially true…

"Do you want me to tell you more?" Lilly asked, annoyed by her sudden rejection. The other girl craned her neck back to stare at the ceiling.

"So the guy's thinking, 'I can't live without you, I need you in my life.' But, because of the girl's unawareness, the guy keeps it hidden, not wanting to lose her forever."

Miley quietly admitted that Lilly was right. She didn't exactly want to say it to Jake. She was partly afraid of what he would say…

"S-so then what happens to the guy?" Miley asked, worried about the outcome. "What's gonna happen if he doesn't say it?"

Lilly looked straight into her dark blue eyes. "Well, it's not like he's going to die from her rejection. I mean, it'll hurt, but he'll get over it in time. I mean, he's a dude!"

Miley grimaced. "So you think just because he's a 'guy,' he could just get it over with so easily? He's known this girl since high school! They've been through break-ups and make-ups, a whole lot of history!" God, Miley's not that shallow about getting over guys! Who the hell does Lilly think she is, thinking that Miley could easily change her mind?

"I'm not finished yet!" Lilly snapped and pouted. Miley sat back in her seat again, but still listened intently to her story. "Anyways, in the mean time of him getting over it, he goes on a trip. He buys a sailboat and goes off to the sea, letting the wind take him wherever it wants him to go." Lilly illustrated the picture in the air with her hands waving around. "But then, the wind becomes stronger and takes him to a deserted island. Tall palm trees, a bunch of wild fruit, exotic animals and plants inhibit the island."

Miley scrunched her face together. Where the hell was this going?

"But then, he notices that this island wasn't just an ordinary island; it's a treasure island! Eventually, he forgets about his rejection and his former love." Lilly slammed her fist against the palm of her hand. "So the man, our hero in the story, sees life in a new view. Life is unpredictable and insightful, eh?"

Miley shook her head and stood up. "You're pathetic. I'm going to bed. Clean this mess up." So much for actually wanting to listen to her 'intuitive' advice. Boy was she stupid for actually listening in on her and being curious about the topic.

Lilly made a face behind Miley's back as her heels clicked up the stairs. Geez, she was the one who wanted to know how it ended. What were we even talking about in the first place? Damn, she's moody. She collected all the cans and dumped out on the recycling bin. A black box stood out from the rest of the bottles that were sitting in the blue dumpster.

Huh, what's this doing here? Lilly picked it up and opened it. The silver band shone in the kitchen light, nearly blinding Lilly. "Whoa! No way!" Taking it out, she bit it to make sure if it's real. "It is!" She wore it on her middle finger, but it was too big for her. Clearly it was a male's engagement band. What was Hannah, wait no, Miley, doing with this?

Lilly finally realized. "So she was the one who asked…I was right before…She _did_ ask the guy…And the guy in the story was her! Not her friend!"

"Shut up and go to sleep, damn it!"

Lilly ignored the other girl's protest from upstairs. She could keep this ring and sell it on eBay and make easy money. And then she could pay that money to Miley along with the money she's going to make in her (hopeful) job! "You are one smart girl, Truscott."

Tomorrow morning, she was going to get the money she needs and make another deal with Ms. Montana, no wait, Miley, again.

----------

"So, how're the waffles?"

Miley stabbed one of the waffles and examined it. "These are waffles? Seriously? You can't even eat them!" The 'waffle' clunked to the plate as she stood up and threw it away.

"Well, your depressed mood last night made me mess up," Lilly excused.

"You weren't even paying attention, geez." How the hell did she come up with that? The guy buys a sailboat and finds a treasure island? What does that have to do with the main point?!

"Fine. But what about this?" Lilly held out the ring she found last night. Miley turned around and caught her breath.

"Where-you…Give me that." As quick as she could, she grabbed it from her hands and threw it out the grass area in the backyard. "Don't _even_ _bother_ to look for that." Miley pushed Lilly out of the way. "Clean up this mess, I'm going to work."

The blonde watched her every move as she grabbed her wig and keys sitting on the cabinet set beside the door. God, what was her problem…So much for the eBay idea…

Frustrated, Miley slammed the car door. There she goes again, going into other people's business. What is her problem? What does she need to do to make her stop bugging into her problems?

Her Hannah phone rang and shook her out of her angry thoughts. "Hello?"

"Geez, Miley, no need to be snappy," Marge said from the other line.

"Sorry, long morning. What's up?"

"Well, Stan's flipping out because you made it on another tabloid. Congratulations, you are the only one who could physically kill him without even touching a hair on his skin."

"What?! What did I do? I didn't go out as Hannah for awhile!"

"Yea, but _you_ did. Last night. With _Jake_."

Miley winced. Her manager's voice seemed to cut through her ear canal, even if she didn't scream it out. "Fuck…I forgot…" They must've made a big fuss over at the restaurant, or someone in the building ratted them out. Shit.

"Well, I'm not going to yell at you now, because Stan will do that for me. If I were you, I'd get my ass here right now."

Sighing Miley turned on the engine and put her wig in her purse. "Alright, I'll be there in thirty." She hung up and drove all the way to her management's building.

"Miley, get in here, _now_." Marge dragged Miley all the way to her publicist's room. "You do not know how long he has been yelling at the phones. What the hell were you thinking, going out with Jake? I told you that boy's trouble!"

But before Miley could respond, Marge pushed her onto one of the chairs inside Stan's room. Now Miley is scared shitless.

"Miley," his voice low and dangerous. The door was closed and telephones' ringing were muffled. The balding mid-aged man slowly turned around to show Miley his tomato red face. "Could you-could you _please_ explain _this_ to me?" He smacked down the cover of the newspaper, and on it showed Jake hugging Miley tightly and on the bottom left corner was a smaller picture of Miley holding the engagement box in her lap. It was dark, and you can hardly see it, but the newspaper circled the box and pointed out to the readers what it really was.

Miley gulped and stayed quiet, letting Stan do all the talk. "Miley, what is wrong with you?! First it's Hannah, now, it's you! What the hell were you thinking?"

God, what was she thinking? She put down the newspaper back on the desk. How could she forget about Jake and the paparazzi? God, she wanted to die now.

"I'm responsible for you, Miley. After your dad gave up on you, I'm now in charge of how it goes. Marge here is your assistant manager. Do we need anything else to keep you on the DL?" Miley shook her head and apologized quietly. She was acting rather rash the other night. "Good, now…" Stan puffed and cursed to himself. "Good grief, my blood pressure should be above the normal rate…"

"C'mon Miley, let's go," Marge pulled her out of the chair. "You got lucky this time." The door clicked behind them and both walked through the bustling cubicles. "What were you doing with Jake?"

"That box I was holding, I was…asking his hand in marriage." Miley prepared herself from what Marge would say.

Instead, she laughed. She laughed so hard that she was near to tears. "You asked him to marry you?" She laughed more.

Miley slapped her manager's arm. "Screw you, Marge! I didn't even see any paparazzi out there." But Marge kept on laughing. "It's not that funny, Marge, seriously! What the hell's so funny?"

---------

Lilly looked around the grass. She only found rocks, but no silver band yet. Frick, where did she throw that little sucker to?

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Lilly jumped and caught her breath. "Dang, you scared me." She looked around aimlessly and slowly stood straighter. "Oh, I was just…picking out weeds! I have to keep the grass healthy, right?"

Miley shook her head and walked back inside the house. "I told you not to bother to find the ring. It's pointless."

Lilly followed suit and grabbed the bucket of water and a mop leaning against the wall. She walked to the living room and set the mop in the bucket and began to swipe the floor. "So, I saw the news about you in the newspaper. Guess I was right, huh?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Miley opened her book and sat cross-legged. She already had it from Stan and enough coming from Marge. Damn, it took her forever to stop laughing.

"You and Jake Ryan, huh?" Lilly continued. "Wow, I never saw that coming. How long have you guys been together?" Miley ignored her and flipped through the pages. "I thought Hannah Montana didn't like those kinds of guys, but he is kind of cute. His body is _ah-mazing_." The mop splattered across the floor and Lilly continued to push and pull. "And that black box you were holding in the picture was it the same from the one I found last night? I'm pretty sure it was."

"Can you just go to your room now?"

"Nope, gotta finish what I started right?" Lilly smiled teasingly as Miley groaned silently. "And we wouldn't want you to slip and fall because of me, would you?"

Miley was close to say "Fuck off," but she held it in and walked away from her. Like before, Lilly made a face behind her back, nearly flipping her off. Dang, always so damn moody.

Furiously, she wiped the coffee table and nudged into the yellow envelope she saw the other day. She suddenly remembered everything. Of course, Hannah Montana's Masquerade party!

"Hey, can I still go here?"

"No."

"Aw, c'mon! Please? I could find people who are interested in my work! Then I can pay you sooner…Please?" Lilly pouted.

"No."

"Aw, please? Why not?"

"You're a pain."

Lilly gasped. "How am I a pain, Ms. Moody?" Crossing her arms, she tapped her foot. Pain? She's a pain? What the…She doesn't even know me. "Look, I won't do anything drastic there. I'll behave," she offered.

"Huh," Miley acknowledged the thought. "Eh, don't want to."

"Seriously, you won't even see me groveling around the stars! I'll stay behind the lines, really!" Miley still ignored her. Growling, Lilly nudged past her, making Miley spill her drink all over her shirt. "Bitch."

"Hey!" Miley yelled. "Damn it…this shirt's new, y'know!" What the hell was her problem? Quickly, Miley took the invite and put it in one of the coffee table's drawers. There, that should teach her not to mess with her stuff.

From the railing upstairs, Lilly watched her every move. She put the envelope in the second to the bottom drawer. Yes, she will get it. Tonight, she will get it and keep it with her until tomorrow.

----------

Miley woke up early the next morning without eating any breakfast to get ready for the special evening. She left a note on the fridge for Lilly to remind her to clean the kitchen and bathroom, to go grocery shopping (money on the island), wipe the piano clean from dust and the windows (from top to bottom), and do the laundry (since the new washer and dryer came in and was installed last night). That should keep her busy, Miley thought.

And she was right. Lilly got a headache after she saw the list of things to do. Dang. She would have to start early in the morning to finish all that first then go buy a costume for the party. She could do this. She's been through everything, and she can take this challenge. This was nothing compared to the obstacles she faced before

----------

Lilly finally arrived at the front of Skillet, the place where the big even was going to happen. Her body ached all over the place and she felt her legs and back creak as she took each step. Her chest felt like she was being drowned because of the corset's tight fit. She felt like she went way too far for the costume idea, but if she had to get into the idea of Masquerade, she had to go all the way.

All she needed to do was just to get into the party; easy right? According to the long line outside of the building, it wasn't. People dressed up as can-can dancers, Cirque du Soleil, Zorro, and any other kind of exotic characters lined up to get into Hannah's masquerade promotion party. Thanks to the people up at the front who forgot to 'bring' their invites, Lilly was losing patience by the second. She was also getting a bit hot with the costume she was wearing.

If only I got to the stupid costume store earlier, she thought. And if only stupid Miley wouldn't make me clean the damn house all over again. Why did she have to leave so quickly and leave me to do all the work again? Oh, right, because she was the one hosting the the time Lilly was second in line to get into the party, the bulky bodyguard stopped everyone's defiant arguments.

"Ok ladies," he looked to Lilly, "And gents, please, make through for Ms. Montana." Screams were louder when Hannah (in her short, yet stunning costume and mask) stepped out of the shiny black limo. "Ok, back off!" The African-American bodyguard boomed to the line. The crowd went quiet in an instant and backed off like what they were told.

"Thanks, Harry," she patted his back and waved to the people waiting in line. Someone behind Lilly fainted and Lilly rolled her eyes. Wow, she mouthed.

"Oops," her stub underneath her bottom lip nearly came off. She pretended to yawn and took out her envelope as a ticket to get in. Okay, maybe not _her_ invitation, but Miley's fake one. It was a free copy of what the invite would look like and Hannah's publicity agent sent one to Miley just in case. So, curiosity got to her and Lilly thought it would be a perfect chance to steal it away from Miley's grasp when she was out and go to the party.

Except she didn't have enough time to get a dress, hence the mysterious man's tuxedo that she's wearing with the white mask that covered her eyes and forehead and a short bowler's hat, since they ran out of the tall hats that was supposed to come with the tux.

Hannah (who is really Miley, Lilly reassured to herself), walked in the building and the crowd behind her pushed forward to see more. The bodyguard pushed them back with his bulk of a body and Lilly's hat fell. Thank god I'm wearing a wig, she sighed. Screw the hat; it looked terrible with the outfit, anyways.

Harry pushed the two people who were confronting him away, nearly punching them to go get a taxi because they didn't have the invites to get in. Lilly gulped timidly as she approached the bulking young man who seemed to be three times Lilly's height and weight put together.

She cleared her throat and lowered her voice. "Hey, I have the invite right here." Harry snapped the envelope away from her hands and ripped it out. He glanced back and forth to Lilly and the invitation.

"Congratulations," he deadpanned, "you are the first one who has the right invitation. Go on right in." Lilly took in a deep breath nodded her head towards him as he gave the crumpled up paper back, thinking that everyone in the male world does that to appreciate what he gets. Apparently, Harry doesn't think so. "Get in there and don't make me change my mind," he snapped at her. Lilly jumped and pushed right in.

"Damn," she muttered under her breath. Fog machines blocked her view along with the disco lights that blinded her eyes altogether. Her ears started to ring as the blaring music caught up to her. Colorful costumes passed by her as she made her way down to the short set of stairs.

"Hey," a girl came up to her. She was wearing a showgirl's costume and Lilly first thought that she was crazy for going up to her like that. But the thought of the masquerade party came back to her. "Wanna come to the back? I'll show you a few tricks I've been _dying_ to try out," she winked seductively. The thought of her wearing a man's costume nearly left her mind.

"Uh…um…C-c-can you hold that thought? I need a drink."

"Sure, I'll be waiting," she winked again. Lilly gulped and ran to the bar stools. Now that was a close call.

"Can I have some water?" Lilly asked one of the bartenders.

"You sure you don't want anything else?" he asked as he offered her the cup.

Before the man could get her response, she sped off quickly to find someone who works in the publishing firm. Of course, that's why she came there in the first place: to look for someone who works in the journalism area. She brought with her a flash drive that had a copy of an essay she was working on earlier this month (before Hannah-slash-Miley came around and stole her house from her).

Walking around aimlessly, random types of women stopped her and played around with her faux hair. Some went further than others and nearly went down her pants. Freaking out, she tried to run to a safe place to hide and cower away from them. Eventually, she went outside and saw a small stage set up that was surrounded by metal structures and at least more than ten speakers hanging from it. Behind it were a big cutout of Hannah's face and a smaller cutout of the CD album she's promoting and the movie Hannah starred in.

Lilly rolled her eyes as she saw plenty of people going up to her for an autograph. If only they knew the _real_ her and her big secret. Oh, and of course how OCD she is about a clean house. She's a freakin' freak when it comes to cleaning!

Just live it through, Lilly, she thought to herself. Just until I can pay the six-thousand dollars back. She sighed. This is hopeless; I can never pay her back. I can't believe she used me! Either you pay me back and live homeless or clean the house and do housekeeping until I say so! She mocked. Lilly sneered and shook her head.

Well, she thought. As long as I don't see Hannah and she doesn't see me, it's all good.

* * *

**So, the last part was part of the introduction. I didn't really change much, so if you read it and were like "OMG DEJA VU" well...yea. So, are we all good with this so far? Because I am SO psyched for you guys to find out what will happen up next. Because from there on, things will get soooooooooo interesting. I swear. The Liley will come.**

**Should I ask again for the people to leave a review? No...I COMMAND you to leave a review! ROFL, jk. It would be nice, though, because I would be a lot more happier! =)**

**Up next more party time! And find out what will happen after "The Kiss." I want to hear what you guys think so far!**


	8. Chapter 7

**To the people who have stuck with me since the very first chapter and left reviews, faved, alerted, here is your long-awaited chapter. I'm sorry you had to wait so long, but it takes time for it to develop, you see? I won't say much, except that I had fun writing this one particular chapter =) Oh, and things move pretty quickly here. But it's not rushed, but it's quick...yea...whatever.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of it's characters.**

**P.S: You can skip the first part, it's just the same from the intro chapter. Just wanted to let y'all know ;)**

**P.S.S: Sorry I didn't have enough time to get to your comments. I was busy with school...**

* * *

Miley's hand was starting to cramp after signing eighty-three pictures, which she counted exhaustingly in her head. Her mouth was hurting from smiling too much at one sitting and her voice is getting hoarse from saying the same sentence repeatedly.

"Hi, how're you?" she'd say, caring less of what they'd say back.

"Oh my gosh (or Ohmigawd), I am a _huge_ (or big) fan of yours," they would start. "I love your song, 'insert-song-title-here!' I, like, listen to it every single day of every single moment. "Then they would give her the copy of the Hannah Montana picture with shaky hands and hold their breaths.

"Thanks, it means a lot to me. You are the best!" Hannah says as she rapidly writes down, 'Rock on' or 'Be true to yourself (which Miley laughed to herself)' or any other inspirational crap people find interesting coming from an international pop star. Then she completes it with an 'xoxo, Hannah Montana' and a "Thanks, I hope you'll stay for the concert (that also comes in with a charming smile)."

The fan standing before her starts to hyperventilate and nearly faints. Her manager calls in the next anxious fan and it start all over again.

"Oh…my…god. You-you-you…you-you-you're…"

Miley smiled as she braces through the fan's struggle to say her name. "Hannah Montana," she finished for her. She looked behind the girl's back to see how much longer she has to sign. She nearly broke the felt pen in her hand as she saw almost millions of people waiting in line…And Jake…with Mikayla. What were they doing here?

"Marge," she pulled her manager's shoulder down. "After this one, I want done," she seethed to her ear. The mid-aged red-head nodded and turned around to talk to the bodyguard standing next to her.

Miley smiled back to the fan and finished up her last signing routine. She heard the fans whined in disapproval as she goes backstage to wash off and relax. Maybe go over and talk to that stinkin' two-time cutie with that bees-weez of a bitch, Miley thought harshly to herself.

Walking over to the sides of the stage, Jake calls out to her with Mikayla in tow. Damn it.

"Hannah, honey!" He starts and Miley has no other choice but to approach the couple. "Wow, big movie and CD promo, nice," he winked at her. Miley tried not to let her knees go weak.

"Yea, thanks. I thought you were out in Europe for filming?" Miley jumped down the stage and the trio started to walk down the path in front of them

"Yes, I am, but I wanted to come and support you." And you just _had_ to bring in the lovely Mikayla? "And Mikayla wanted to come over to congratulate you, too! So we came here together. Hope you don't mind," he finishes with a grin.

Yes, I do mind. "No, of course not. All are welcome here. Thanks for coming, Mikayla." She offered a hand, but the black-haired girl smirked evilly at her. "Yea, so…" She let her gloved hand drop back to her side.

"Hey, do you guys want drinks? I'll go get some. Be right back." And there Jake left the two rivals alone. Of course, he doesn't know that they hate each other, really, so Miley couldn't blame him. But she can partially blame him for just leaving her at the restaurant the week before. Right before she was about to pop the question to him and left her hopeless. Miley hated to think about it, but it came on coming back to her.

"So, Hannah, trying to steal my fans again?" a high-pitched voice interrupted her thoughts. "Ha, like you're actually going to keep them for good now. Like you really can anyways."

Miley crossed her arms and jutted her hips. "Don't go sassing me like that, you little weasel. What're you doing here with Jake? He's supposed to be in Europe filming, and you're supposed to be in…hell."

Mikayla scoffed and flipped her hair. "You wish. I met him at the airport and the news about your promos came up, so we decided to come. Of course, if you're thinking that I just wanted to so you that Jake's all mine again, you're right. Oh, did he forget to tell you? He's filming with me again." Mikayla smirked as she checked her nails with cheek in tongue. "I'm just here to tell you if he hasn't."

The blonde scrunched up her nose and refrained from pushing the black-haired girl to the fountain behind her. "Oh, thanks then, because, for your information, I don't like Jake anymore. And I never did."

"Oh really, because I thought you had a thing with him?" Mikayla laughed teasingly. "So I guess that means that you did love him? I'm guessing you still do."

Miley was close to punching her square little face and send her straight to the lit fountain. But, like she was trained to control her emotions, Miley held her clenching fists to her sides. Instead, she started to raise her voice to her. "Okay, that's it. I don't love Jake, nor will I ever! Now stop assuming things about things you don't know! The girl who loved Jake was Miley, not me. Miley is a close friend of mine and she confides in me about everything. Where'd you hear crap like that from?"

"She's my best friend! How would you even know? She hates you just as much as I do, conniving little –"

"Whoa, ladies, ladies." Jake came in between them and held them off. "Ladies, you're making quite a crowd."

Miley took in a breath and stepped back. "Right, right, I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to do that." Mikayla scoffed and took Jake's arm and led him underneath the back porch of the bar. Jake resisted and stood his ground next to Hannah.

"Miley," he whispered to her ear, not wanting to let the crowd to hear what they're saying. "Calm down."

"Jake, how can you bring her here? You know I hate her!" Miley tried to find suitable excuses.

"How should I know? You never told me anything! You never _tell_ me anything!" Jake squeezed her elbow as a sign of anger. "You never told me that you still love me. I thought we were over that! Miley, we aren't even together anymore!"

So the news hasn't reached him yet. He still doesn't know that she wanted to propose. Miley clenched her jaw and sniffed. "I never tell you anything?! You never told me that you're filming with _her_ again," she spat back. "You're a liar, Jake Ryan."

Jake glared in one moment, and then smirked in the other. "So, you still love me, huh?" he tried to change the subject.

Miley could not believe that she sees something in a guy like him. "Jake!" She ripped her elbow off his grasp. "I don't know _what_ I see in you…" she stomped off back to the stage, everyone looking at the scene unfolding in front of them. This was a side of Hannah they've never seen happen in public, other than the gossip that's been going around on paper.

"Miley, wait, I'm sorry. Yes, I guess that was wrong of me to do that and I'm sorry that I bailed on you last week. I didn't mean to, but my manager paged me at the last minute that the flight had been moved up." Miley didn't buy it. "Look, can't we just forget about it?" Jake took her hand and led her down the steps of the stage. The crowd tried to look around and tip-toe their way around the bodyguards who were blocking their view of a perfect angsty teen show. "Miley, what was so important about last night?"

"Jake," Miley sighed. After a history of ups and downs, Miley was getting a bit fed up. She just wants Jake to notice that she's right there in front of him. "It could have changed _everything_."

Jake was taken back. It seemed like he knew what Miley meant, but really he just didn't. He couldn't, even if he tried. "I'm sorry, but I just can't, okay? I," he mumbled, "I love Mikayla. I'm sorry. I love you, too, but, it's just…"

Miley should've known this was coming, but she went with it anyways. Lilly was right, even if she didn't even know what she was talking about. "Save it. I know." Sniffling, she made her way towards the fountain, near the bombarding fans who're trying to get close.

"Miley," he whispered. "I'm really sorry." Mikayla ran down and held his hand and snuggled on his shoulder.

She can't feel bad now; it's near Showtime. She needs to act quickly and save herself from embarrassment. Walking her way towards the fans' area, in which they screamed louder, she hastily starts to hatch up a plan.

"Y'know, Mikayla, you maybe one lucky girl," she lied through her teeth, "but I'm an even luckier girl." She glanced over to the hand that she's holding behind the blocked area. Please be a guy, please be a guy, she pleaded. For a good looking guy (okay, so he was wearing a mask that covered half of his face), he sure does have some smooth hands. Hurriedly, she pulled the random young man through the bodyguards' big set of arms. "In fact, I have him, my big bowl of yumilicioius." She cuddled with the man's head and patted his chest. Huh, for a guy's head, he sure does smell _really_ good, almost with a hint of passion fruit mixed with Axe. And he's also a bit short. A bit short meaning nearly a whole forehead shorter than her. Whatever, he's still a guy.

"Who's he…?" Jake pointed out as he and Mikayla stepped in closer. "Isn't he a bit…short?"

"Psh, maybe some random fan. I mean, look at her: she's desperate!" Mikayla glared at Hannah and the lost young man.

"He's not some random fan," Miley patted his shoulder and rubbed his chest. "And he's not short." She gulped as she knew what she has to do next. "He's my fiancé. We're getting married in a few weeks." She turned around and pulled the man closer to her. Slowly, she leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips. She finished off soundly, but kept her eyes closed, not wanting to see the faces of the people around her or the person who's holding her. For a guy, he really does have soft lips. And they taste like coconut and vanilla.

I have to open my eyes, I have to. I'll apologize and I'll tell him the rest of the –

Miley wished she didn't open her eyes. She wished she didn't look down directly into the pair of bright blue eyes staring back at her, because she knew who they belonged to.

"Oh my god," she muttered under her breath. "L-Lilly…Truscott?"

A mortified look washed across her face, along with her throat becoming dry. Did she, did she just kiss Lilly? It's not like she's never kissed girls before (she has, a few times, here and there), but Lilly…She's her maid! She's her stuck-up, arrogant little maid!

But god…did she just think that Lilly as a male, was _handsome_? She grimaced inwardly at the thought. Was it really Lilly? Her chin and jaw line was rough, like a man hasn't shaved since morning. Self debating to herself while cameras clicking and flashing here and there doesn't really help if she's looking helplessly to the 'man' in front of her.

A familiar nudge pushed passed her and instantly Miley tightened her grasp on the blonde boy's smooth, small hand and shielded her face from the flashing lights and accusing microphones. Rushing through the paparazzi who were taking every single shot of the now newly made couple that just happened in front of them. Miley heard a shrilling voice go past her, telling her to get inside the bar's green room. Was it Marge? Or was it one of her bodyguards who were pushing her and her new man through the bustling crowd? She was certain it was Marge.

The smell of strong liquor and smoke filled her nostrils as she suppressed a cough. The green room's door swung open and Miley and the 'man' she kissed were pushed to the couch a few feet away from the door. In an instant, the door slammed shut and the sound was still ringing throughout the small room.

Fuck, what the hell did I just do? Miley cursed under her breath. She turned to face the corner and slowly walked to it. God, how could she act so rash in front of hundreds of people?! Her life is now screwed, thanks to the jealous part of her body. No, thanks to that two-time stinkin' cutie and that bees-weez of a bitch Mikayla.

From inside the room, she could here muffled questions being yelled at from the other side of the black door. In return, she could here Harry and his bodyguard buddies using their deep voices to scare them off.

"Did you just realize that you just kissed me?" That voice…it scared the crap out of Miley.

Hesitantly, she turned around gulped loudly. Her eyes didn't meet the 'man's' face, but only to his shiny, formal shoes and the bottom of his black slacks, or more like black denim jeans. Miley didn't know which one. But that voice, she knew who it belonged to.

"You _do_ realize that you kissed _me_, Lil –"

Miley quickly interrupted her before finishing that sentence. "Don't even _dare_ finish that sentence. Just," she heaved a sigh, "just be quiet." Her vision started to feel fuzzy, white flashes started to appear in the corner of her eyes. Another headache started to take a toll on her head, just like the one she had the other night.

"Oh…" Lilly stayed seated on the leather couch and remained quiet. She didn't even dare to question the pop star when she's in a mood like this. This was different than the one's she had seen back at home. She seemed…scary. It's more of a 'Don't-mess-with-me-or-else-your-ass-is-going-to-get-whooped…Real-badly.' Yep, that kind of scary.

The door clicked open and both of them held their breaths. It was the other door. Thank god.

"Excuse me, _Mister_," Miley's manager pointed out, "but you're going to have to step into the other room right now." Marge took the masked person by the arm and pushed him in the room, locking its knob. Stan stood behind her, breathing heavily, his face all red again, just like last night. "Alright, Miley, tell us; what the hell were you thinking?"

"No, Miley, this is _outrageous_!"

"I know, I'm sorry, but I –"

"I cannot believe you would act so rash –"

"Do you know how this could ruin your _life_?! You are –"

"– and just last night you were going to propose to Jake, then –"

"– hurting your image, Miley! How in the world could you even _think_ –"

"– now, here you are, macking on with some _guy_, who I know that you yourself don't even know –"

The faux blonde shook her head frantically, dropping down on the sofa. Her managers were starting to kill her brain! Shut up, she wanted to say, shut up!

"Alright! I know what I did wrong, okay?!"

Both Stan and Marge stopped and closed their mouths. Marge crossed her arms and Stan put his hands in his pockets, both with an amused and stressed look on their faces. "Continue."

"I-I let my feelings get in the way. I wasn't thinking things through…"

Sighing loudly, Stan walked over to the pool table. "Miley, as much as I hate to say this, you caused this, and you're going to have to solve it on your own. So tell me, how're you going to do it?"

Miley remained quiet, closing her eyes, looking away towards the room where Marge pushed Lilly into. Mentally she shook her head, but she dared not to do it in front of Stan.

"Your scandals are making me stress out Miley. You should've learned your lesson by now! How long is it going to take before you are seriously going to damage your career?" Miley stayed quiet and Stan continued. "Do you know what's going to happen after this? The movie ratings are going to go down. Your CD will be a bust." He firmly slammed his fist on the pool table making the balls and Miley jump. "Then what was the point of working all day and night, huh? Is that what you want to do? You just want to lose it all?"

"Why, all of a sudden, is there a marriage? Miley, _you_ were just going to propose to Jake Ryan! Now, as Hannah, thinking you guys are just two different people –"

"We _are_ two different people!"

"– is just going to work out by saying you will marry that guy in a _few weeks_?" Stan raised his voice, angered that Miley burst out her statement while he was stating his points. "Marriage is big business! It's not something to be taken for granted! Do you even know this guy?" Miley rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Well, say something!"

"Well, look on the bright side," Miley spat. "There won't be any more tabloids about Hannah every single week."

And with that, Miley stood up and walked towards the other room, where it was connected to the parking lot, and where Lilly was staying at the moment. Her car should be there. Unlocking the door, she pulled Lilly by the arm and dragged her out to the lot. She was right; her Prius was sitting right next to the cylindrical column near the exit.

"Fine then, if that's the way it's gonna go, I'm putting up a press conference on Tuesday!" Stan's voice echoed through the empty lot as Miley heels clicked against the concrete floor. Lilly looking around, quickly went inside her car and wore her seat belt. She had a gut feeling that the ride back home was going to be bumpy.

So much for the concert and movie promo…and her hopeful job opportunities.

----------

Miley didn't know what to do. It was either she wanted to A) punch the wall repeatedly until a large hole is made, B) flip and throw the mattress on the floor, hard, or C) scream her lungs out until her throat becomes raw and she can't be able to talk for months. But she didn't do anything. She wanted to burn that stupid wig that was lying openly on the carpet floor. It was because of that stupid wig that brought her to this point. She should've listened to her dad, but no. She just had to make her own choice and not let her dad take control of her life. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn?

Taking a breath to let it digest to her slowly, she started to undress. Her clothes smelt like cigarette smoke and a few hints of sweet liquor. She thought back about her unlucky kiss with the 'male' Lilly. How the hell did she even get Lilly of all people? Why did she even dress up like a guy? Wait a sec, why was _she_ even there in the first place? She was supposed to stay at home and clean the whole place! Miley specifically remembered that she told Lilly right at the face not to go to the party. That bit–

"Hey!" The door swung open as Miley was about to unclasp her bra. Automatically, she reached for her shirt to cover herself.

"What the hell are you doing here? Ever called of knocking?" Miley uncomfortably tried to tie her shirt around her torso.

With an angry face, Lilly set her hands on her hips. She was still wearing the suit, but her facial disguise was all gone. "We're both girls! Come on!" Lilly shook her head, looking at Miley who was awkwardly standing with no pants or shirt (only underwear), but only her sleeveless shirt trying to cover both her privies.

"Just get to the point! What do you want?!"

"Let's talk Hannah Montana–Miley Stewart," the shorter girl started with a firm voice.

"What's there to talk about? Get out of my room!"

"Wha-What? You think there's nothing to talk about? Are you serious? Explain to me what just happened earlier! Or did you forget about that already?" Lilly pointed out, sticking her chin out. Miley glared at her and said nothing. "Are you serious? You-you…What happened earlier, you've _got_ to tell me what's going on. Now. I'm not the kind of person who would do whatever you want. I'm not a pushover," she stated. "I, Lilly Truscott will _not_ –"

"Let's get married." Lilly shut up in an instant. Her heart stopped beating for a good three seconds. "I'll hire you as my husband when I'm Hannah." Miley pulled the shirt over her head in front of Lilly's blank face.

Did she hear right? Did she say she wants to get married? Lilly struggled to get the words out. "Are-are you kidding? I'm a _girl_! And even if I was a dude, why would I marry you?!" she screamed at her face. "I can't stand your obnoxious, moody, PMS-ing attitude! I don't even like you as a person! You're such a drama queen!"

Miley spat back just as strong. "You're loud, naïve, and dirty. I don't like you either!"

"Oh, well, good for you! Now you've just stated the points on why we _can't_ get married! What the hell are you on drugs or something?"

The taller girl crossed her arms. "Think about it this way; it'll be easy once we get a divorce." Easy? Hell, they won't even get along. It'll be easy as pie. Why'd she say that then?

"Divorce?"

Scoffing, Miley turned to face Lilly down. "What, you think we could play husband and wife for the rest of our lives? Live together for the rest of our lives?" The brunette folded her pants. "I'm sick of Stan telling me what to do all the time. I'm sick of the stupid tabloids and scandals I'm in on every week." She placed her hands on her hips and said all in one breath, "I'll pay you a salary and give you alimony once we divorce."

Lilly muttered under her breath, "She's out of her mind…She has to be on crack…"

"I'll give you the house once we're done," Miley offered. She saw the other girl's neck whip around with big eyes. "Think it over carefully and decide." Both girls stood there, shooting death glares at each other for a good minute or two. Then Miley broke the silence and said, "Now get out of my room!"

----------

If this was the way Miley wanted to go, fine. She still doesn't know what was going on, but if she were to get 'married' with her and dress up as a guy just so she can get the house back into her hands, she will do it. Anything to get the only thing that was part of her past.

She slammed the stapled stack down on the kitchen table in front of the other girl. Lilly made the list last night, right after Miley pushed her out of her room. She didn't sleep until two in the morning, and then to only get four hours of sleep.

"So," Lilly crossed her legs under the table. "This will be a contract marriage. After all, you made a deal with me that you are going to give me back the house. So, I made a contract list last night." Her blue eyes watched Miley closely as she picked up the sheet of paper and skimmed through it. Miley looked up to see Lilly staring directly into her eyes.

Lilly smacked her copy of the list in front of her and started to say what was on the paper. "One, we will respect each other's privacy. Two, we won't demand physical intimacy –"

"Like I would want to," the other girl scoffed.

"Don't interrupt and I mean it: _no PDAs, no touchy-feely, no infatuation allowed what-so-ever_." Lilly gave her the eye when Miley suppressed the urge to cough out her laugh. "Hey, I can be likable," Lilly shot back. "Man _or _woman." Lilly mumbled something under her breath about some high school fling, but shook it off. "Three, the length of the marriage will last six months, no more than that. If less, better." She cleared her throat and resumed. "Four, upon divorce, the house owner's name will revert back to Lillian Truscott."

Finally done with the four points, she needed to take a breather from all the hard work she did. For Lilly, staying up so late in the morning trying to figure out what Miley was pulling on her and what she should include on the list was hard. "There, any objections?"

Miley sat up straighter, facing her body towards Lilly. "Every single time I go out as Hannah, you have to go out dressing up as a man. Just like your costume from last night. The exact same thing." Miley saw Lilly with her tongue in cheek. "And if this arrangement is revealed to anyone else, meaning other than the two of us, it will be invalid and the person responsible will be held until she can pay back all the money and for the trouble she has caused." Miley got her only part of the deal, and that was to keep the whole 'contract marriage' thing between them. If word got on the street that she did this _and_ got married with a girl who dressed up as a man, her life would be officially over. "Got it?"

Lilly nodded, "Yea."

Pens scratched against the table as the two signed their signatures on the lines made on the paper. They switched and signed each other's papers, just so both could have proof that they agreed to do so. Lilly put her pen down and extended her right arm across the white kitchen table, in front of Miley's face.

Confused, she raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious?" Lilly shoved her hand in front of her face. Rolling her eyes, she looked away and shook it anyway. Some deal, eh?

----------

Miley "Hannah" looked at herself in the full length mirror. Her blonde hair was crowned with braids, letting it connect on the back of her head. It was a bitch to get it right with the wig. Her dress was poofy (but not as poofy as the other ones) and it went at least two inches above her knees. She had one of her big buckled belts wrapped around her waist, to show off her slender figure. Her top was bright and vibrant, but not neon, just the way she likes them made. Her body was there, ready to present, but her mind…was still wandering.

Jake and Mikayla…she should've seen that one coming. Was she so blind that she didn't even notice how idiotic Jake was? Or how stupid she herself acted in front of hundreds of people?

Was this her karma? Is this what she's getting after a year or two of working her ass off making songs and a movie? It just wasn't fair.

A small knock came from the door. "Ms. Montana, are you ready? The press is waiting."

Stretching her muscles and cracking her joints, she opened the door gave the suited security guard a small smile. "Your fiancé is waiting for you near the doors."

Oh, right. Lilly. She almost forgot this was about the confirmation of them wedding in a few weeks. How much sillier could this get? She got a new suit for her, one designed by Armani. It was sleek black with a skinny gray tie to make her feminine figure look more masculine and taller. Although, she was complaining that the corset she was wearing underneath the suit was starting to suffocate her, and Miley resisted the urge not to tease her.

"Strange, huh?" Lilly's voice interrupted her thoughts. Miley did a double take to see what she meant by strange.

Whoa.

"You like it?" Lilly puffed out her chest slightly and held her suit jacket tightly. She turned around slowly to show Miley. "Looks cool, eh?"

She gulped loudly and shut her eyes tight after she noticed how long she was staring at Lilly's male alter ego. 'He' _almost_ looked like Chace Crawford! The thick eyebrows, unshaven five o' clock shadow and sideburns that could almost set a square jaw, striking blue eyes, the thick 'hands-should-be-ruffled-through' dirty blonde hair…The only difference was that 'he' was a lot shorter than the real Chace, less muscular, the nose was not as pointy as Chace's and no dimples.

Miley shook her head. No, it's still Lilly. It's still Lilly, she repeated. "It's just a disguise," she mumbled, only a bit loud enough so that Lilly could hear it.

In turn, she scoffed and looked away, but then to only give death glares at her. "It was a bitch to put this on, y'know?" she pointed to her chin. Miley bet it did, but stayed quiet. Instead she gave her a look to stay quiet.

"I don't know Miley, but I think he looks pretty good."

She jumped from where she was standing and groaned. "Damn it Marge, stop scaring the shit out of me."

"Well, I don't see why you're complaining, that boy is _fine_. I really shouldn't have blamed you then Miley," she whispered the last part. Marge walked past between Miley and her fiancé and gave him a small wink. Lilly scrunched her eyebrows.

"Did-did she just –"

"Come on." Miley trudged past Lilly, making her follow suit. "Remember, lower your voice and don't speak unless you're being asked." Lilly nodded and whistled to get the tension off her body.

"You guys ready?" Marge asked, clipboard in hand, headpiece in ear, and hand on door knob, getting ready to open. Both of them nodded. "Okay, have fun."

As the beige door slightly creaked open, Miley shoved her arm under Lilly's arm, linking their arms together, and began to pull Lilly with her towards the swarming cameras that flashed in front of them. Like a pro, Miley waved and smiled to them, but unlike her, Lilly tried to open her eyes. She began to sweat under her collar as the lights and cameras flashed and snapped pictures of them walking over to the table. She felt like she was beginning to go blind, since the only thing she saw opening her eyes was pure white light with slight yellow rays.

Someone jerked her forward, and Lilly automatically brought her hands forward to prevent the person from tripping and falling face first on the floor.

A soft "Awww…" distinctively came from behind the photographers. But really, Lilly thought, it was kinda loud.

Lilly wrapped an arm around the singer's waist to bring her closer and to not let her trip over the cables again. Smiling, she took her hand and carefully led her up the stairs. Miley said to be convincing, right? Well, this was as convincing as it was going to be.

"You may ask your questions as soon as Hannah and her fiancé are ready." Marge winked over to Miley, giving her a small nod. Even her personal assistant manager didn't even know the boy's name. How did Miley even know this guy? Then what about the Jake problem? Was that just a hoax? Marge stayed confused in thought, but kept quiet, watching the couple.

"So, mystery man, would you mind introducing us who you are?" One of the reporters started. Obviously, the question was directed to Lilly and Miley became nervous. Both of them had their hands on the table, fingers intertwined together, since people could see if they weren't holding hands underneath the table, or on the table. Even the littlest things, people make such a big fuss. Of all the things she has to do to make it believable…

"Oh, well," Lilly replied in her deep voice. It sounded silly, but she and Miley had to practice the pitch the whole night, making sure it was at the right tone. It made her throat feel scratchy and she complained, then Miley yelled at her for being such a wimp, then Lilly got angry and it sparked another argument.

"I'm Lill –"Lilly stopped midway. She felt Miley starting to clench her hand. Of all the things they practiced to show for today, they forgot to make up a name for 'him!' "Lil' Ian," Lilly improvised. Miley squeezed her hand tighter and she could begin to hear the bones in her small hand starting to crack. Lilly tried not to yell at her face in front of so many people.

The reporters gave them a look. Why was he so afraid to tell us his name?

"I'm Lil' Ian," Lilly laughed. She squeezed Miley's hand just as strong. Waving it off, Lilly chuckled, "But you can just call me Ian."

"Yep!" Miley ripped her hand away. She wiped away the clammy feeling and set it down on her lap. "Yea," she laughed nervously, "that's my nickname for him, ha-ha." The reporters and Marge shot up an eyebrow and looked around. "Y'know, because of his height and such. He's my cute _Lil' Ian_." Miley faced Lilly who was thinned lipped. "But yes, his name is Ian."

A few of the reporters laughed along with the joke. Miley breathed out uneasily while Lilly glared at her from the corner of her eye. "Tell us, how long have you been together? How did you guys meet?"

"Ah well," Miley cleared her throat. "We've been together for awhile now, I can tell you that." She watched Lilly lazily smile to the press. "We actually met in an airplane, First Class." This was so not how Miley wanted it to go. Lilly's smile went away in an instant.

"Oh, really? Care to elaborate on that?"

"We were sitting next to each other and we did the ol' meet and greet, except he was a bit cranky," she whispered. The crowd chuckled and Lilly knitted her eyebrows together. "I asked him if it was his first time flying in First Class, he nodded. He isn't much of a talker, you see." Miley smiled nervously while Lilly was clenching her jaw. "And well, when the airplane started to liftoff, he began to tremble in fear and –"

"Ahaha!" Lilly intervened. "Yea, that…I'm uh, I'm not really a big fan of heights, let me just clarify that." The photographers laughed and Lilly whipped her head towards Miley, eyeing her to stop the story.

"Yep, and I held his hand throughout the _whole_ flight," she quickly concluded. Lilly really tried hard not to kick her on the shin.

"That's sweet," the blonde male reporter commented. Lilly smiled, but her eyes were still glaring at Miley. "This question goes to Mr. Ian. For a woman who is worshipped by millions of men," (Lilly rolled her eyes inwardly), "what do you think makes you different from all the rest of the guys?"

Lilly gleamed, "Of course, it had to be my looks." Everyone laughed. "But the real reason, I really don't know."

"It's probable that he wouldn't know," Miley huffed. "He's loving, caring, compassionate, and he never likes to argue." Lies, they both thought to themselves, all motherfucking lies. "I think we make a very peaceful couple." Yea, right.

"The wedding, it seems kinda rushed. Any reason why? Is it a shotgun wedding?" A few cameras stopped clicking and the rest anticipated the answer.

Lilly spat out the water she was drinking back into her drink. Shotgun? How was that even possible? Lilly wanted to laugh at the thought. Miley pregnant? Dear god, she already has enough mood swings even if she's not pregnant!

"No! No, dear god, no!" Miley blushed in embarrassment. "It's nothing like that." She laughed. Her hand went up on the table and intertwined with Lilly's fingers. "I love this guy. I feel safe around him. He looks out for me and takes care of me, and I'll do the same for him. We trust each other and we want to protect each other." Bullshit. A bunch of freaking bullshit, Miley thought to herself. "He really is the one!"

"Is that why you wrote "He Could Be the One" on your CD album?"

Miley nodded, but mentally shook her head. "Yep, pretty much." She glanced to her left where her future 'husband' was sitting. Smiling curtly, she saw the accusing stare Lilly's giving to her.

"Any more questions?" Marge asked from the podium. Some of the reporters shook their heads and but a few photographers asked if they could take a few pictures of Hannah and her new beau. "If that's alright with them," Marge pointed out to Miley that she should make the choice. She nodded her head. "Alright, go ahead!"

Lilly and Miley walked around and stood in front of the table. Awkwardly, Lilly loosely held the other girl's waist, while Miley leaned most of her weight to Lilly. She put an arm around her padded shoulders and put a hand on her stomach, trying to show them that they are affectionate. How much more uncomfortable could it get?

"How 'bout a smooch for us?" One of them asked. Apparently, it could. The rest of them nodded and started cheering them on for a kiss shot.

"Eh, we aren't really big fans of PDA," Lilly tried to recover but Miley cupped her cheeks. She felt her breath on her own lips, lingering the space between them. Just let them be, the singer barely whispered, closing her eyes. At least that's what she said, Lilly thought dizzily.

Boy or girl, no one's ever kissed like this a _long_ time. It was different? She thought. Much softer was more like it. Closing her eyes, Lilly responded to Miley's chaste kiss. She lifted her chin to get more, but Miley pulled away before it could lead into a bad show. It's just for publicity, nothing else.

"Wow, now _that's_ what I call a kiss," Marge muttered under her breath. A couple of photographers grunted and nodded. "Some smooch…"

Lilly still felt a bit dizzy after all the flashes and the kiss given. Both were not a good combination, that's for sure. She and Miley were now in their separate rooms changing into casual clothes. Unfortunately, for Lilly she still has to where the disguise. How can one person breathe right when wearing a freaking corset?

Six months, Lilly, six months. Then, you'll get the house back. Six months. That's a really long time.

----------

Miley hesitantly dropped off Lilly back home, since Miley has to do some phone interviews. She unlocked the door and dropped her duffel bag onto the glazed concrete floor. God, she was tired as tired could get. Thankfully, she could breathe better since the corset was out.

"Yo, Lils! How's it goin?"

Holding her breath, Lilly closed her eyes. Please be a dream, please be a hallucination! Nope, it's not.

"Jackson?! What the hell are you doing here?!"

----------

The doors to music shop squeaked open and the beeper beeped loudly as the customer passed by. "Hey, welcome to Guitar Center!" he always heard his employees greet to them. The sound of electric guitars squealed in ecstasy as the basses thumped in different beats. Chaotic rhythms of guitars, pianos, basses, and drums were the sounds of great business to him.

Sighing in content, he kicked back in his chair and began to play with his guitar. Strumming the chords, his assistant knocked in and told him to turn on the TV. He said something about unbelievable news from the music world.

"And welcome back to E! News! Our reporters have just recently been to a very important press conference that included the international pop star Hannah Montana and her new beau. Here, we have an exclusive scene from the interview."

Standing up, he looked at his HDTV screen to see and hear closely. He gaped and dropped the guitar on the floor.

His baby girl's getting _married_?!

* * *

**Lil' Ian...Where do I come up with this crap?! I'll tell you, I have no clue. Maybe it's those sleepless nights...I've been planning to use that "Lil' Ian" vs "Lillian" name thing for a long time. And so I just did right here. Funny how it fits. Y'know, _Lil' Ian_ vs _Lill(ian)_? Yea, that's kinda lame.**

**And the Chace look-alike thing...I don't know where that came from either. Maybe it's cuz I have that "People's" Magazine of SUMMER'S HOTTEST BACHELORS 2009 sitting in my room. And Chace's face was right there on the cover. Just my imagination gone wild.**

**Also, shotgun wedding? This sounds lame, but I just found out what the definition of it is just a few days ago and I decided to use it here. **

**So, here's a possible hint of the next chapter (don't get TOO excited): Wedding tiemz? Review please?**


	9. Chapter 8

**Hello. Is there anyone reading this? I still hope so. Y'all do not know how guilty I feel for updating so late! Ugh. Darn school. Darn homework. Why are you ruining my spare time?! But hey, on the plus side, I got a new chapter for you! Um. Yes. New chapter! I kinda like some parts in this one. Idk. It depends what mood I'm in.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters. The creators do.**

**SilenceistheLoudestScream2: Actually, we'll be seeing part of her history in this chapter. Just a smidge. It's quite interesting, actually. But that'll be on hold for later chapters.**

**Stessa: Yes, marriage does seem quite rash. I hope it'll still keep you interested in the story? **

**P.S: I've decided that it was a bad idea for me to watch the "Party in the USA" music video. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the song, no matter how annoying it gets. But it's hard to believe that Miley is only a year and three months older than me. It's unbelievable, really. To tell the truth, I don't like the way she's transitioning out of her 'Hannah Montana' shell. She should've waited until S4 was done, and then go with the whole short-spandex galore. I dunno. That's just me, playing it safe. How boring is my life? Yes, _that_ boring.**

* * *

Robbie Ray Stewart sat down on his desk, still trying to digest the thought of her daughter getting married. So what if she ditched the family for her pop star life? She was still his baby girl. This was his fault. He should've never gotten in an argument with her. This is what happens when he's not there not helping her make the right choices.

There she goes, _marrying_ some guy named Ian. God, she's making those stupid mistakes all over again. Why is she so stubborn? She never thinks about the consequences! When will she learn her lesson?

He's been reading the newspaper and has been keeping in touch with a few entertainment news, but less frequent as the time went by. Scandal after scandal, she still keeps at it. Stan's not exactly doing a good job of keeping her out of it. Maybe handing Miley over to the management was a bad idea from the start.

She's going to ruin her life again if she's going to do this. She's going to get heartbroken by another chump and Robbie can't be there to help her.

Sweet niblets, what am I going to do? That's it!

Tomorrow he's going to go over to visit Stan and make him call Miley over. There, easy. Yea, they were mostly definitely going to talk this over. He'll make sure that Miley will think it over and not marry this 'Ian' guy.

But first, he has to check on Rachel and Louise, make sure if they got the news. "See ya later Chuck, I'm goin' off. I'll be back later." He grabbed his keys and jacket. "Make sure the business stays strong while I'm out." The door's sensor beeped as he swung the door open.

----------

"So…how's life?"

Lilly breathed unevenly. This jerk, this bastard jerk was sitting on the couch with his legs crossed in the living room. He literally could be the death of Lilly, other than Miley. Those Stewarts could seriously kill her with a high blood pressure.

"How did you get inside here?" Her fists were starting to clench, as with her jaw. Her nostrils flared and her blood boiled. He shrugged and Lilly knew that was a bad thing to do.

"Get out of here you freakin' douche bag!!!" Quickly, she pulled him by a handful of hair. "Get out!!! Get out, get out, get out, get out!!!" She kicked him out of the house with her shrilling screams. "Get the fuck out of here, damn it!"

"Wait! Can't I just explain why I'm here?" He pleaded. His shins were on the welcome mat, he was literally begging on his knees. Still, it wasn't good enough for the girl.

"No! I fucking _hate_ you, you piece of shitty garbage, god!" Lilly's eyes stung. "You-you're making my life miserable! I trusted you! You promised me! You sold the house! Without me knowing! How the hell can you explain that to me?!"

Jackson stood up slowly and wiped his hands on his shirt. Why did he ignore his conscience? Lilly was the best friend he could ever have and he just ruined their friendship because he was so stupid. She was always looking out for him while he always gambled and do some crappy stuff behind her back. But this time he had no choice. It was to either pay the gang back or die a horrible death. What could he do?

"Look, Lilly, I'm sorry." He tried to comfort the crying girl, but was scared that she could kill him on the spot. "Really, I am."

"Just shut up and leave!" Lilly gripped the door handle, looking at the floor.

"Fine, but…Just tell Hannah I said congratulations." He said quietly and turned around, walking towards the gate.

Lilly finally looked up and stifled a sob. "Just…go. Just get the hell outta here."

Jackson glanced a short sorry look at her, but Lilly remained looking to the marbled floor. The door clicked closed and Lilly sighed shakily. He must've learned from Miley that Lilly's her personal maid.

Lesson learned: Don't trust anyone from the Stewart family. Or anyone, in that case.

She kicked her duffel bag against the wall and went to the sofa to lie down. Too many things have happened in the past few days. What the hell just happened? Lilly decided to recollect.

First, Jackson sold her house while she was on vacation to New York. No matter how much she doesn't want to think about it, it'll bound to come up again. Not to mention her bank account got rejected, and then, she meets Hannah Montana and makes a deal with her to unbeknownst for three thousand dollars for her freaking house. Oh, and to end up living as a maid for Hannah Montana, who is really Jackson's little sister, Miley Stewart.

As if that wasn't enough, she _marries_ Hannah Montana as a man named Ian. Lilly sat up. The more she thought about it, the more outrageous it became. Somehow her life went from down-right boring to the ridiculous extraordinary. Too bad this wasn't a dream. It would make one hell of a story.

"Oh wait." Lilly rapped her fingers against the coffee table. This could be a story. A whole new story Lilly could write. Maybe even screen write for a movie. It could work, she thought. Make new names for the characters…It could be like a box office hit!

The phone rang and Lilly snapped out of her trance. She got up and picked it up from the receiver. Well, the thought was nice. She should start brainstorming some ideas.

"Hello?"

"Hi, um, is this Ian?"

"Uh, yea," Lilly lowered her pitch. "Who's this?"

"It's Jake. Jake Ryan. I was wondering if Hannah is there?"

Oh. "No she isn't here at the moment. She's at work. Wanna leave a message?"

Lilly heard a rustling in the background from the other side. "Um, no nothing. Never mind. But, uh, congratulations on your engagement!"

"Thanks –"

"Sorry, but I have to go now. Just tell her that I called, 'kay? Thanks. Bye." The phone clicked and Lilly pulled it away from her ear. She stared at it for a long time. There's something fishy about Jake and Miley's relationship.

Lilly put it back on its holder and walked over to the kitchen island. Oh, well look at that. A list of things to do. Even when she's busy, Miley still has time to make a to-do list for Lilly. Unbelievable.

Sighing, she posted the list on the refrigerator and began to read it through.

---------

Miley came back home to see that the mop was out of its bucket, the faucet dripping, and dirty bowls piled in the sink. She swiped her hand on the refrigerator's top. Dust was still visible on the tips of her fingers. Lilly better have a good explanation for this.

"Lilly!" Her voice echoed throughout the house. No response. "Lilly Truscott!" Nothing. Miley switched the faucet off and cursed. She went up the stairs to Lilly's room.

"Holy hell. What a mess." She kicked some boxes out of her way, along with some scattered belongings. God damn it. Where the hell is she?

Miley glanced along Lilly's small table. It was aligned with pictures of her family and surprisingly one of her and Jackson. Even after what he did, she still kept of picture of him. Miley would've burned it.

So Lilly isn't home. She left before she cleaned up her mess. Miley took out her phone and dialed Lilly's number. She picked it up after the first ring.

"Hey! I gave you a list to clean this up!"

"Hey, Miley." Her voice was in her male pitch. Miley didn't want to think why Lilly wanted to joke around like this.

"Don't joke around with me! Where the hell are you?"

"About that…"

"Well? And don't use that voice with me!"

"I'm sorry," she heard Lilly's voice toned down to a whisper. "But I'm being taken somewhere."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm being escorted somewhere. Some place called Cannes."

"Cannes? Why there?" Oh no. "Oh my god, please don't tell me…"

"The escort told me that I was going to your family's place."

Her heart stopped beating for a sec. "As Ian right?"

"Yes, why did you think I used that voice earlier on?"

"Just…God damn it." Miley hung up and quickly went down the stairs, grabbing her car keys. Shit, shit, shit. What the hell is going on?

Escorted to her old house? Who'd think of doing that? Oh wait. Rachel. No, Rachel's mother, _Louise_.

Miley stepped on the gas pedal and raced her way towards Cannes. This is not going to end well. She could feel it in her blood.

----------

The escort pulled over to sidewalk and Lilly looked out to see a suburban beachfront house. She opened the door and her driver led her to the door. The place (the neighborhood, really, Lilly thought) didn't look the type to have private drivers. She thought it odd to be driven to Miley's old place. She wondered why, until she saw who opened the door.

"Hi," a tall mid-aged woman greeted her. Her blue eyes wandered around Lilly's figure. She didn't look so pleased. "Please come in. I'm Miley's mother."

Oh. She didn't seem the type to be a strict mom. The first thing Lilly pointed out was her totaled bleached out hair. It looked fried and an ugly shade of yellow. And she looked nothing like Miley. Maybe her dad would be.

"I'm Ian," Lilly offered her hand to shake. But Miley's mom ignored her and walked away, leading her to sit on the green three-seated couch. "Um, nice place you have here."

"Grandmother is waiting for you." Lilly looked to where the bleach blonde lady was taking out a tray and filling cups with water and one with tea. "She'll be coming down shortly."

"Oh…'kay." Miley's mom didn't seem the type to be so elegant and quiet. At first glance, Lilly would've mistaken her for a bleach blonde bimbo, the complete opposite. Her eyes wandered to see the house to be quaint and peaceful. It was crowded with many tall in-house plants. Behind her were guitars sitting on their stands and a grand piano. It seemed like everything in the house connected, just like her own.

"Ahem," Miley's mom cleared her throat. Lilly whipped her head around to see an old lady, wrinkled around her eyes and mouth, silently glaring at her. So this must be Miley's grandma. She still looks relatively young, in a way.

"Hi there, I'm Ian," Lilly stood up. She was eye-to-eye with the grandma. "Pleased to meet you.

The gray-haired grandma humphed and walked passed Lilly to sit on the single seated couch. Ouch, Lilly thought. Now I know why Miley's so cold-hearted. Must've run in the family.

Miley's bleach blonde mother started to hand out the drinks and Lilly accepted it. "So, Ian is your name?"

"Yes ma'am." Lilly set down her drink and sat in a boyish way; legs apart, slouched forward, and played with her fingers.

"Is that some way to talk to your future grandmother? Sit up straight!"

Lilly blushed and closed her legs and sat up straighter. "Sorry, ma'am." She heard Miley's mom clear her throat and Lilly knew she already did one thing wrong. So much for showing her good impression.

"Good. Now, how old are you?"

"Twenty-two." Lilly tried to look into the grandma's eyes, but she was just scared to do it. "I'll be twenty-three in a few weeks." Yea, and there's no one to celebrate it with. Yipee.

"Okay. How about your parents? What do they do?"

"Oh, my parents aren't here anymore. I mean, my parents divorced after my brother's death. My mom passed away in a car accident, but who knows where my dad is." Lilly ducked her head in loss.

For a moment it stayed quiet, an uncomfortable silence. Lilly wanted to do something to take back what she said, but Miley's grandma still has something to say.

"Did you graduate?"

"What?" Lilly finally looked at the grandma. The senior raised her brows and her forehead creased lines. "Oh. Seaview High," she said quickly.

"And? That's it? Only a high school diploma?" Lilly looked back down at the rug in embarrassment. The grandma tched and shook her head. "Why did you stop there?"

"Um, I wasn't…I wasn't exactly the best in school –" which was a _total_ lie. Lilly got a semester's scholarship to UCLA, but decided not to go. She was actually one of the top ten students in her class to be listed in 'Most Likely to Attend Yale/Stanford/Harvard.' She looked around nervously for a better answer. Nothing came.

From the corner of her eye, Lilly saw both Miley's mom and grandma shake their heads in disappointment. "Anyways, tell me, is it true that you and Miley have been living in the same house?"

The answer took awhile for her to compute. She didn't know which answer would appeal to the family. "Y-yes," she stuttered.

Lilly's quickened breaths seemed like it was loud enough for both of the older women to hear. "Oh, god," the grandma groaned. Miley's mom rushed to her side.

"Do you need any medication? Do you want me to call Robbie?"

"No," Miley's grandma turned away from both Lilly and the bleach blonde. She sighed loudly and shook her head slowly. "There's no point…

So saying 'yes' was a bad idea. Living together was a bad idea before you got married. Lilly winced and regret her answer quickly. "I'm sorry, but –"

"Louise! Rachel!"

"Miley! My good granddaughter! Look at how much you've grown! How come you never come by anymore?"

Lilly stood up to see Miley breathing heavily and approached her. "I told you, I'll introduce him to you guys later! Geez!" Miley panted and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Lilly's wrist and headed out for the door.

"No wait!"

"Miley Ray, do you still want to disappoint your parents?" Rachel pointed out.

Miley muttered under her breath, but Lilly couldn't quite catch it. Before Miley could open the door, it swung open and Miley jerked back against Lilly. She felt Miley tense up with a shaky breath.

"Dad."

"Miley?"

"No way! Robbie Ray Stewart?!" Lilly yelled out. Everything froze and everyone stared at her oddly. "I-I mean, hey, how's it going?" she recovered in her man voice.

"Excuse us." Miley tightened her grip on Lilly's wrist. She pushed Robbie out of the way, ignoring her grandmother's pleads to come back.

"Miley, don't you think we should go back?"

"No, now get in the car."

"Miley Ray! Now hold up! Let's talk. Dont'cha think you're moving too quickly again?"

Lilly was already in the car when Robbie Ray stood next to her car door and Miley was still outside, her car door still open. What the hell was going on?

"No, we're not talking." Miley sat back down in the driver's seat and started up the engine.

"Miley…" Lilly heard the older man grunt in frustration. "Y'know what? Fine. Live your life. Don't ever think about the consequences!" Lilly watched him stomp back into the house until he slammed the front door harshly, it looked like the house was going fall apart.

Beside her, Miley looked straight ahead and gripped the steering wheel.

"Are you okay?" Lilly asked quietly.

Instead of answering back, Miley accelerated in one push that made Lilly go back into her seat.

About ten minutes into the drive, Miley started to talk. "What did Louise say to you?"

"Huh?"

"Louise, the grandma. What did she say to you?" Miley repeated. "Did she scold you?"

"No." Lilly began to peel off her disguise. At least I don't think she did, Lilly second guessed.

"Don't let her get into your head. She and Rachel are crazy."

"Wait," Lilly stopped at her eyebrows. "You're saying that bleach blonde lady and the grandma aren't your real mom and grandma?"

"No. Rachel is my step-mother," Miley grimaced, "and Louise is her mother. I have no relation to either of them. If I ever was…God knows what I'd do…"

"Oh." I thought so, Lilly agreed silently. Rachel and Miley looked nothing alike. "It's weird."

"What is?"

"I dunno. It's just weird that you have a family, even if it's dysfunctional." Lilly was curious about the deal between Robbie Ray and Miley, but that would have to be in a different time. "You never told me your dad was Robbie Ray Stewart! God, I would've practiced to acknowledge the fact better if you told me earlier!"

Miley said nothing and continued to drive along. "But seriously," Lilly continued, going on a limb, "Why is the relationship between you and your family so strained? But then again…"

"Be quiet," Miley snapped. "You don't know anything about me and my family. It's none of your business."

"Y'know, you should be thankful that you even have a family to look out for. Maybe you should talk it over with them with whatever problem you had in the past and just –"

"Hey! Shut up! I told you it's none of your business."

"Or maybe you should just listen when others are talking and not interrupt by yelling at them," Lilly sneered.

"Why are you giving me advice? I already have enough of it from work!" Miley squeezed the steering wheel.

"Hey, I'm just trying to help you out with your family problems. Sure, maybe your step-mom and step-grandma are annoying as hell, but still, they care about you."

"You don't know crap, so just be quiet. Just shut up or else I'm gonna kick you out right now."

Lilly shut up in an instant.

"Thought so."

----------

The next day, while they were having lunch, Robbie Ray still looked peeved. Rachel wanted to do something to take his mind out of it, but it seemed like every word she says was a bad thing. But right now, she and Louise have decided to give it another try.

"So," Rachel started to ease in. "Since the wedding is on Sunday, are you still going to go?"

Robbie put down his sandwich and took a drink. "Why should I? Why should I even bother?" He wiped a napkin across his mouth and resumed eating. "She made her own choice to live her own life. Let her live it to the end."

It was Louise's turn to say something. "But Ian's all by himself. His brother and mother passed away, and he doesn't know where his father is." Robbie still doesn't look convinced.

"Look, maybe you should talk to him," Rachel suggested. "He seems like a nice boy," she ignored the glare given from her mother, "he needs guidance. And plus, Miley needs someone to walk beside her down the aisle."

"Stan can do that."

"Robbie, you're missing the point. You're daughter is getting married. Marriage is a grand thing in one's life. You should be there to support her." Beside her, Louise nodded greatly.

"Also, Stan seems like a complete douche –"

"Mother!"

"– And I'm sure Miley would want to walk down the aisle with you."

Robbie finished his sandwich and looked at the women next to him. "I'll think about it." Louise and Rachel smiled and were about to high five each other until Robbie cut them off. "I said I'll _think_ about it. Don't get your hopes too high."

After Robbie disappeared up the stairs, the daughter and mother duo gave each other high fives.

"Yes!"

----------

Lilly was tired. No. More than tired. She was _dead_ tired. As if that was new anyways. Stupid Miley had to make her do the laundry _by_ _hand_ with a freaking washboard and had to pick the weeds _by hand_ out in the backyard. Not to mention cleaning and scrubbing the floor, walls, windows, tub, and shower until her arms were limp.

Now she's on the bed, staring at the dark ceiling. The dark blue hue from the moon outside was her only light. She wanted to puke. She wanted to plunge off the balcony. She wanted to kill Miley then herself. She wanted to scream. But she was too tired to do either of those things.

The last thing she wanted to think about was getting married to _her_. It's tomorrow. Tomorrow she's getting married. Good god, that'll be the death of her. She'll die of a heart attack tomorrow on the altar. She's sure of it.

Maybe she could run away. Yea. Running away sounds plausible. But to whom? Who else does she have?

Not Miley's family. They already disapprove of her, or should she say, Ian.

Jackson? Yea right. Even if she did, she doesn't know where he lives. Or maybe…

Lilly took out her cell phone and dialed the operator. After a few minutes, she found out that Jackson doesn't live too far from his old place. Only three blocks away from his previous one. Good. Now Jackson can pay her back.

She got up from her bed, an air mattress, and jumbled to get her one and only gray suitcase. She's going to run away. It seems like it's the only way to get out of here. She wished she had someone else rather than Jackson, but she has no other choice. But then again, Jackson owes her _a lot_. This is how he could pay her back.

----------

He woke up to a small voice calling his name. It sounded familiar, but he must've been dreaming. It called him again. He pushed it away. Then a loud banging sound came from his door. Startled, he got up and opened the main door. He definitely wasn't expecting this.

"Lilly?" She was standing in the middle of the hallway with her suitcase right beside her. What the hell?

"Hey, can I come in? Thanks." Lilly made her way inside, leaving Jackson to look at her, gaping.

"What're you doing here? I thought-I thought that you don't wanna –"

"Yea, yea, can I have some water?"

Jackson rubbed to eyes if he was still sleeping. No, he was not imagining this. "S-sure."

"Y'know, your sister, god, I just wanna kill her! She's so bossy!

"Join the club," Jackson added, still slightly shocked with Lilly's doing here."Wait, you know about the whole Miley/Hannah thing?"

"Yea! And she's just so infuriating! Clean this, do that, wipe this, mop that. If she loves to clean so much, why can't she marry that than instead of me?!" she screamed, panting.

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? Did you just say…"

Lilly covered her mouth. "Oh crap, I wasn't supposed to say that. You never heard any of that."

"What?" Now Jackson was lost. Did she just say that Miley's marrying Lilly? _Marrying_ Lilly? His little sister marrying his best friend? Who both are girls. This is weird indeed.

"Oh my god, Miley's gonna kill me, but," she scooted closer and leaned against the table, and in a hushed voice she said, "Miley and I are getting married today."

Jackson's lips quirked upwards. "You're lying. You've always been a terrible liar. Way to make it believable." He then laughed wholeheartedly.

"Listen, Jackson," Lilly pulled him from across the table. "I'm fucking serious. I'm marrying Miley today. She's Hannah Montana and I'm Ian."

Jackson smile went away slowly. He shook his head. "No. No way. Are you drunk or something?"

"Jackson. I'm Ian. The reason why I'm here right now is that I'm hiding from Miley. I'm running away. I just need a place to stay until –"

He went to the kitchen and grabbed the newspaper. The man in the newspaper did have the same nose and eyes as Lilly, Jackson observed, but that could've been a coincidence. But the fact that Lilly told him that she was Ian just wouldn't leave his mind.

"But I thought you were her maid?"

"Yea, until this happened!" Lilly jabbed a finger to the newspaper, making a hole to Hannah's face. "Okay, Jackson, here's your payback. Find me a place to stay. Just give me a place to stay so that Miley won't be able to find me."

Jackson became uneasy. He wanted to help her. Really. But if Miley knew that Lilly was hiding over at his place, she would kill him. He doesn't need that right now. The best thing to do is just trick Lilly into believing that he found her a place to stay. Easy.

"Okay, but –" His cell phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?"

"Jackson, I lost my maid."

He closed the phone's speaker. "Excuse me." He went into this bed room and locked the door. "She's here."

"Okay, well, can you bring her over?"

"Why?" Jackson needed to find out what Lilly said was true or not. Miley's the only witness to claim the truth.

"Because she needs to clean the house. Just bring her over now."

"Miley, seriously, why do you need her now? You're getting married today. You could careless where your maid is."

A short break from the other side broke the conversation. "I-I need someone to look after the house while I'm gone."

"You sure about that?" Jackson pressed on.

Miley huffed. "She told you, didn't she?"

"Miley, if Dad found out that you –"

"Shut it, Jackson. Just bring her over to the house." One click and the conversation was over.

Jackson took in a breath and walked out the room to see Lilly tapping her foot against the floor. An idea popped up in his mind.

"Hey, Lilly. That was Miley."

"Oh god, she knows? How the hell does she know?"

"I have no clue…What're you gonna do?"

"Oh my god…she's such a freak! Is she coming over?" Lilly started to pace around the room.

"Yea, she's hella pissed right now. But she doesn't know that I know about your guys' wedding thing."

"Okay, then that part's good. Oh my god, Jackson, you've got to help me now."

"Okay, okay. Since she's coming over here, I could drive you back to the house and you could finish packing up your stuff quickly, then I'll be waiting outside to give you the signal if she calls me again." Jackson gulped. He really didn't want to break his friend's heart again, but it seems like he has no other choice. "Sound good?"

"Yea. Thanks, Jackson. I think you've redeemed yourself again," she smiled.

Jackson smiled weakly. Mentally, he was shaking his head. You have no idea, he thought.

----------

She paced around the room, waiting until Jackson arrived. God, she wanted to _kill_ someone. That someone is Lilly Truscott. Of course, she had to ditch the day they were going to get married. And she left a parting gift, too. The post-it that was on the fridge was now in Miley's clenched hand. The freaking nerve of this girl!

The doorbell rang and Miley rushed to the door. She was shocked to see Lilly pale faced in front of her.

"What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were already on your way to Jackson's apartment!" Lilly quickly turned around to see Jackson meekly waving to them. "You-you dirty asshole! I cannot believe you would do this to me! Ugh!"

Before Lilly could run away again, Miley grabbed an arm and pulled her in the house, along with her suitcase. Lilly ripped her arm away from Miley's grasp when Miley slammed the door shut.

"Okay, you," Miley pointed to her. "We had a deal, remember?" Lilly fumed, not knowing what to say. "Do you want to quit? Fine. But remember, after six months, you get your house back. Did you forget about that?" Lilly looked down and breathed evenly. "Good. Now go upstairs. Marge's gonna pick us up in fifteen."

"Fifteen?!" What?! It usually takes her about forty minutes to get ready!

"Your fault, not mine. Just get your facial area and your corset ready. They got your suit set already."

Miley started to go up the spiral set of stairs, smirking at Lilly's dumbfounded shock. What a retard.

----------

Honestly, Lilly did not know her body could react so quickly. In five minutes, she got her corset done. In three minutes, she got her 'eyebrows' fixed and her wig set, and in seven minutes, she got her five o' clock shadow imprinted on her chin and jaw. A mix of morning sickness and anxiety washed through her body, but she really didn't want to throw up now. All she cares now is just to get over the stupid wedding.

By the time Marge picked them up to the time Lilly got her white suit on, she didn't feel like getting married. Hell, she never felt like getting married. She always imagined that someone else would be the groom, not her.

A few cameras started to take pictures of her as Ian while she was thanking a few people for coming to the ceremony. She didn't even know more than half of the people who thanked her. How sad. She felt guilty, partly because all the people seemed so nice for congratulating her. And partly because they were getting married in a church.

Lilly wasn't exactly religious, but lying to the people and the church just felt like they were going too far. She doesn't understand how Miley doesn't feel a pang of remorse, especially when she's the one who chose the place. Maybe it's because Miley has reconciliation, or whatever they called it, so she can confess her sins to God. But Lilly doesn't think that they will get away with it easily.

"Excuse me, Ian?" Lilly looked up to see Marge telling her to come over. "Mr. Stewart says that he wants to see you."

Lilly gulped. The Dad? Robbie Ray Stewart? Lilly remembered the last time she saw him. She got goose bumps, not because he was _the_ Robbie Ray Stewart, but it seems like he's the kind of person you really don't want to mess with.

"Sure," Lilly said a little uneasily. Marge led her through a private hallway until they reached a closed sectioned. The red-head knocked softly and the Dad opened the door. He looked like a freaking giant. Both Marge and Lilly had to crane their necks to look up.

"Hi, Mr. Stewart. This is Ian," Marge paused, not knowing if she should continue. She chose not to. "I'll leave you two alone."

Robbie stepped aside and led him in the room. Lilly looked around, not knowing if she should sit or stand. "Okay kiddo, listen up."

"Y-yes sir," Lilly perked up.

"Miley is still my daughter. Even if she's Hannah, she's still me daughter. She's still only one person." Lilly nodded without blinking once. "If you hurt her once, even just one little thing, you will have _no_ second chance." Lilly shrunk slowly into her suit. "Do you understand?"

"Yes sir. Understood, sir!" Lilly stood erected and started to sweat from head to toe. She didn't know what happened next, but she felt a heavy arm around her back. He was hugging her. Ian. He was hugging Ian.

"Good. I know that we don't know each other very well, but I know I can trust you." He pulled away and shook Lilly's hand. "Now, I want you to listen up. I'm pretty sure you've noticed that Miley's a very independent soul –" no kidding, Lilly thought "– but I want you to be patient with her. I'm pretty sure you've noticed what happened a few days ago…" Yea, Lilly still remembered the awkwardness between everyone. "But the situation between us, Miley and I, I want her to tell that to you. It's delicate, but don't pressure her to tell it out all at once. It's all about trust."

Lilly licked her lips and nodded. The door knocked. It was as if it was on cue. Lilly opened the door and saw Marge gleaming with her dress. Lilly remembered that Marge is Miley's maid of honor. "Ready to go?"

Lilly looked back to Robbie, who gave her a thumbs up. "Remember what I said. I'll see you out there." She nodded once and turned back to Marge who held open the door for her.

It wasn't that she was excited to get married. It wasn't that she was anxious to get married in front of hundreds of people. She didn't know exactly why or what, but she felt like a huge burden had been lifted off her shoulders. It felt good to be able to trust and to be trusted to someone.

It was just at that moment, when Lilly stood on the altar, seeing everyone in the pews turn their heads to the bride, Lilly felt a slight glimmer of hope. Hope that maybe, _just maybe_ that somehow, she and Miley could get along.

* * *

**So. Tell me. Did you like it? Yes? No? Oh, and sorry for throwing out two more OCs at ya. They're pretty important, though. Especially Louise. She's a grandma I wish I had.**

**Next chapter: Honeymoon!!! Where do you think Miley and Lilly are gonna go? Place your bets everyone! I really want to hear your guys' thoughts!!! **


	10. Chapter 9

**So I did Model UN (a high school extra-curricular activity), which is basically where overachievers from high schools in the county go to learn speech and debate and other stuff. Truthfully, I did it just because I wanted it to look good on my college apps/resume. Yea. I represented Australia in the committee of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Programs), where our topics were about Climate Change and Biofuels. Dang. I must say, some people seriously get into it. It was actually kind of amusing. But y'know what's really sad? At the end of the day, I actually thought it was _fun_. Someone, please, just shoot me now.**

**Maybe it's also because I learned some Model UN pick-up lines. My personal fave is: "Can I moderate your caucus?" Sorry if you don't get it, but that one is just simply _the best_. There are others, but I thought they were _way_ too dirty to be put on my author's note. Maybe next time. But isn't that a funny thought? Model UN, a dead-serious activity, has a whole LOAD of pick-up lines?**

**So this is the Honeymoon arc. I put it all in one chapter. Because I'm lazy like that and my life and Time aren't cooperating together.**

**.I Talk-2-Evil Little Pixies.: Your remark on the newsletter seriously made me lol in real life. No joke! Seriously, that was hilarious!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters. The creators do.**

**P.S: I'm currently obsessed with "Party in the USA" and it's been bugging my friends like crazy. I think they want to kill me. **

**P.P.S: It's always been 'P.P.S' not 'P.S.S'. Wow. You guys should've told me that before I made a total complete fool of myself in the previous chapters and my other story. Thanks guys.**

* * *

She didn't think it would turn out this good. It wasn't good like perfect, but still. She had to admit, Lilly's a good actress. The marriage was convincing, except for the vows. Now that part was scary. Neither was prepared for this, and that was partly her fault. Because of the sudden confirmation of them getting married, they never had a rehearsal wedding. Marge and Stan were the ones who set everything up. So for their rewards, Miley put it, Marge was the maid of honor and Stan was the best man, much to Lilly's dismay.

But Lilly had only little to complain. Rachel, Louise, and Robbie decided to come. And her dad offered to walk her down the aisle. How nice, Miley deadpanned. Just a few days ago, they were throwing a fit to each other, almost creating chaos all over again. It must've been the work of Rachel and Louise. Sure, they meant good intentions, but did they forget about what happened on that Day? Miley hated to think back to it. She hated to think about fighting and ignoring her own father for almost four years. Maybe more than that, Miley didn't keep track. Now just imagine 'almost' reconnecting all of a sudden, just by walking up the aisle side by side. How awkward is that? Very, Miley concluded.

As if the wedding wasn't enough, the reception came. It wasn't exactly like a reception; it was more like a press conference all over again. Darn her for being an international superstar. Darn paparazzi. Who invited them anyways? But that was the last thing on her mind.

Jake and Mikayla decided to show up at the ceremony. As usual, the bees-weez of a bitch ignored her and gave her those stupid looks that Miley wanted to scratch her face, and Jake just smiled at her, nothing else except a thumbs up. Lilly told her that Jake called to the house a few days ago, but it was too late to call him back. It was too late for everything. Miley wanted to tell him what she truly intended to do, but – there was always a _but_ – she knew that could lead to more unnecessary trouble.

Miley could just list the things she wanted to end. One of them was to make the people stop clinking their stupid champagne glasses. How many freaking times do they have to do it? It was driving her ballistic! She had a feeling that she has kissed Lilly more than any other guys combined. Miley gagged at the thought. It's not that she's a girl, really. It's _Lilly_. Her stupid personal _maid_. Super stars and their personal maids _never_ make-out. Especially when they're _both girls_. Ugh, Miley thought. When I get home, I'm definitely brushing my teeth with hot water and then rinse with Listerine a million times.

The time passed and some people started to depart. Marge told her it must've been at least three in the morning when everyone finally left. By the time they were sent back home, she just wanted to quit. She doesn't want to do this anymore. Why? There was one thing that Miley wasn't looking forward to:

The next six months that was bound to come.

But that's just the general statement. She's just not that excited for the things that are going to happen within those six miserable months. You would think six months would pass by quickly, but Miley knows that something was just going to happen. That stupid gut feeling just won't leave her alone. She pushed it aside, wanting to go to sleep. Trying to go to sleep, really. Miley almost forgot that tomorrow, or in just five hours, she and Lilly were going to their 'honeymoon.' Yay. Where were they going to go, Miley did not know. For their gift, Marge and Stan bought them a five-day vacation to a private island. _Five days_. That's a whole _work week_. Great. This is gonna be _fun_.

Oh fuck it.

----------

Marge honked the horn in three short staccatos. She's been waiting for at least thirty minutes. No, wrong. She's been waiting for them to come out almost an hour and a half ago. What the hell could take them so long? Oh right. Wedding night.

It was hard to believe that Miley, only twenty-two, got married just last night. When Marge was twenty-two, she was still working on her Master's. It didn't stay for long. She decided to go for the bigger side of life. Still. What could take them this long? Earlier this morning, when it was still dark, both looked like they were going to pass out. Weren't they looking forward to go on their honeymoon? God, why can't they just wait to do it until they get over there, Marge helplessly knocked her head on the window, counting the minutes.

Impatiently, Marge honked five more times. Right about a second she honked the last one, the door opened to see Miley and Ian rushing out with their luggage.

"Well, it's about time!" She rolled down the window and leaned down to open the trunk. Dang, how much luggage do they need? Marge counted at least eight suitcases, all big ones, too.

"Sorry, we overslept," Miley shut the trunk and opened the front passenger door. Ian sat in the back with a small backpack. Marge watched him open suspiciously from the rear view window.

"Oh really, Miley? Maybe you guys were just too busy doing something late last night and –"

"Marge," Miley breathed out. "Please, just drive us to the airport. Please." She took out her lip gloss and applied it. "And please don't finish that sentence."

Marge looked back again to see Ian nearly about to pass out. "Fine." She started the engine and began to drive to the airport. "So, how was it?"

"How was what?" Miley took out her bejeweled iPhone and Marge smirked.

"Don't play innocent. You guys look like you're gonna collapse pretty soon. You guys had fun last night?" From the corner of her eye, she saw Miley stopped whatever she was doing with her phone.

"What?" She managed to spit out. "Y-you mean…?"

Marge rolled her eyes. "You're pathetic, Miley." Her eyes wandered back to the rear view window to see Ian sleeping, his head against the window and arm propped on the arm rest. "Yes, I mean did you guys have sex last night?" She turned to see Miley with a shock look on her face. "Or, should I say, _make love_?"

Miley was thankful she wasn't drinking any water. She would've spat on Marge's face. "No! No way!" She shook her head violently. "No! That-that's so _wrong_!"

Marge almost swerved to the edge. "Huh? He's your _husband_ –"

"No, no! I-I-I mean, we-we're not ready yet. Good god, no." Marge turned to concentrate back on the road. That's odd. Not having sex with her husband yet? Marge had thought Miley already did it with him a long time ago. She heard Miley mumble incoherently and asked what she said.

"Nothing. Nothing. It's just, we're…we're gonna wait until the time is right," Miley grinned. It looked scary to the red-head. It looked fake.

"Uh-huh…" Marge unconvinced, made a turn to the freeway. "But other than that, you had fun last night?"

Miley nodded and took a drink from her water bottle. She felt very thirsty suddenly. "So," she uncapped the bottle, "where's the honeymoon gonna be?"

"Oh, right. Dolphin Island. It's in Fiji. It's not that big really."

"You brought us to the middle of _nowhere_?!" Miley choked out. Marge saw Ian jerk his head forward, opened his eyes, then went back to sleep. "God, what the hell were you guys thinking?!"

Marge nearly swerved again, this time to another car. The blue car next to them honked and the man driving it flipped them off. Marge winced. "Hey! Stop yelling!" Angrily, she went by two lanes to the left and sped on. "And it's not in the middle of nowhere. We'd thought you guys wanted some quality time together, take some time off."

"Yea, yea, I get what you mean." Miley recovered from her previous outburst. "It's just…it's just that…"

"It's just what?" God. Damn Miley for being so high maintenance. It took a shitload of work to get the one honeymoon cabin reserved for five days. Plus the expense of it, too! Shit, they used the company's money to pay for it. They cheated; they weren't even supposed to touch the company's money, even if Stan was the boss. Consider it a gift, he said to the newlywed couple the other night.

"Nothing. It's just nothing. I thought it would be y'know, Thailand, somewhere exotic in the Southeast Pacific."

"Sure…so you don't mind?"

"Course not! It's an awesome gift. I'm sure we'll have fun there."

"I hope you guys do. You obviously do not know how hard it was to reserve it," Marge retorted. She flicked the blinker and headed towards the exit. They were almost to the airport. "So, you guys got your passports and everything?"

"Yea, we just need the tickets and we're set."

"Kay." Marge entered through the drop-off section of the airport. "Oh, and by the way, you guys are sitting in the economy seats." She expected Miley to choke her at the moment. She did not expect her client to nod and shrug it off.

"Hey, wake up! We're here!" Miley jumped out of the car and slammed it hard that Ian jumped out of her seat with a bemused look. Marge shook her head. She's so controlling, she thought sadly. Her sympathy goes to Ian, who seems like such a nice guy that has to go through all _that_.

"Oh dang, we're here already?" Ian mumbled and unbuckled his seat belt. He walked out of the car and helped Miley take out the luggage. Marge pushed a cart and helped them stack the baggage on it.

"Is that it?" Ian asked Miley.

"Of course that's it. Who was the one that packed everything?"

Marge saw Ian shot a tongue out at his spouse. She didn't know what else to think except to think about how odd that was.

"Okay, your flight leaves in an hour, so get to the gate quickly." The red-head handed them the tickets, which Miley took gratefully. Sighing, Marge put her hands of Miley's shoulders. "Listen, kid," she started with her mom voice.

"Maaarge," Miley whined. Ian anxiously rapped his fingers on the cart's handle.

"I'm serious. Stay safe." Her eyes pointed directly into Miley's own blue ones. Marge adverted to Ian's direction. "And if you do anything to her…" She saw Ian look aghast and gulped. He quickly shook his head. "You better not."

"Marge, we're gonna be late. We have to go." She gave a tight hug to Marge and let go. "Thanks so much."

"You're welcome. Now go."

Miley went through the sliding doors first with Ian following suit with the luggage cart. Marge smiled and headed back to her car. She felt like she forgot something…Something really important. "Oh shit!" She ran back inside the airport and yelled Miley's name. The brunette turned around with a confused look.

"What?" Miley walked towards her with a concern look.

"I almost forgot, we reserved it under your name."

Miley knitted her eyebrows together. "Okay…? I think I had a feeling I knew that before…"

"Oh just come here." Marge pulled her in another tight hug and Miley laughed. "Call me if something comes up, okay?"

"Chill Marge, I'll be fine," Miley patted her manager's back. She pulled away at arm's length. "I'll see ya later."

Marge nodded once and looked across Miley's shoulder. "I think some people are trying to flirt with your man," she giggled. Miley turned around and rolled her eyes.

"Wow. Okay, bye!"

She waved back and laughed to herself as she watched as Miley shooed off the other girls. It was a funny thought, Miley getting married. She assumed that it was the last thing on her client's mind, but she turned out to be wrong.

As she went back to her car, Marge thought back to their conversation in the car ride over. Was it odd that Miley was _disgusted_ about the thought of having sex with her own husband? Maybe it's just Miley, but Marge thought it to be weird. She looked paranoid, Marge concluded. Maybe she was just nervous of being on a private island with her new husband. Nah, Miley's tough. She'll somehow make things her way.

Marge just hoped that nothing bad happens while they were away.

----------

Taking off her disguise in a dark, cramped closet and changing into her normal clothes was the least thing Lilly wanted. The smell of mysterious crap still ran through bloodstream and remained there until they reached Fiji. Miley cautiously waited outside, nudging the door to hurry it up. When Lilly was done, she almost strangled Miley, but resisted.

It was a long wait to get the luggage put away, showing the passport, going through security. She didn't notice until she stepped off the plane that that was her very first international flight. And Miley ruined it all by hogging the arm rest, and taking all of the complimentary peanuts and drinks first.

Lilly was wrong. Dead wrong. There was _no way in hell_ that she and Miley could get on good terms. She didn't know what she was even thinking. It must've been from the nerves she got before the wedding.

The sun was hot, and Lilly just wanted to go back to sleep. She tried to go to sleep on the plane, but those damned seats were just too cramped to sleep on. And of course, Miley kept on pushing her head away whenever her head kept on lulling to Miley's shoulder. Stupid. This whole honeymoon thing was just stupid. They should've went and gone to Hawaii or something. Lilly always wanted to go to Hawaii. It wasn't any different from Fiji.

The thing was that right after they landed and went through every gate to pass for security, she had to put on her stupid disguise all over again. The only reason why she didn't wear it up on the plane was because it was _her_ passport, not Ian's. God, she just wanted to kill herself. Screw the five o' clock shadow. Lilly wore a buttoned up polo and wore a pair of baggy jeans on top of her shorts.

They went on a small ferry, where she and Miley and all the other visitors were heading to Dolphin Island. Lilly took a brochure filled with 'Heaven on Earth' pictures and mottos of relaxation. It would be nice, she thought bitterly, if I went with someone who's more appreciative of me and his or her surroundings.

All around them, couples were canoodling amongst themselves while Miley was busy texting on both of her phones and Lilly just staring to the ocean, waiting until a green hill arrives on the horizon. Some newlyweds looked at both of them, wondering if they were together. She waved them off and pretended that nothing happened. The good thing was that she wasn't wearing that suffocating corset and those irritating facial hairs that itched her so much. She knew that both of them just wanted to get this whole thing over with quickly.

When they arrived on the private island, their luggage was set. Lilly decided to just carry hers while Miley carried her own. Wrong. Miley decided that it would be better if Lilly carried everything while Miley leads the way to their cabin.

If that's the case, Lilly hoped that they weren't going to stay in one room together.

But she knew that how many times she hoped for it to happened, it was just going to be one room. And lo and behold, right when the two opened their 'romantic honeymoon' cabin, the first thing they saw was the bed. The soft, luxurious, king-sized bed. Gosh, Lilly just wanted to jump on it and just –

"That bed is mine. You sleep somewhere else." So much for that thought.

Lilly finally retorted, "Hey, no. No. That's not fair. We're on this honeymoon together. And anyways, we're married, so whatever is yours is mine."

Miley sat down on the bed and slowly sunk into it. "Shut up. Don't use that against me." Lilly mocked her. That seemed to strike a nerve. "I mean it."

"Y'know what? This, this whole thing, _everything_ that just happened not even twenty-four hours ago, was _all your fault_." Lilly spelled out the last three words and she knew that pushed the right buttons. "It's because you got _so_ greedy and jealous over some _guy_ – a guy who doesn't even like you in that way! –"

"_Fine!_" Miley seethed. "What do you want to do then, huh? What do you want to do with this," she pointed to the bed.

Lilly just shook her head. "Honestly, I just want to go to sleep. We'll talk about it tomorrow or something." Yawning, she took off her shoes and slipped under the covers. She lied down on her side, facing away from Miley.

God, Miley just wanted to strangle her neck so badly, it's almost killing her. She was tired, too, but does she really want to admit that to Lilly? Instead, Miley walked around the cabin, observing where was where and what was what. A hammock was set in their mini backyard that had a small Jacuzzi and planted palm trees along the perimeter.

She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Goose bumps covered her arms and legs. The fact about her already married scared her a bit. So what if it was just a cover for a stupid mistake? Marriage was a huge thing and Miley took it for granted. Stupid, she thought. Just plain stupid. Now she's tangled herself up in a web of lies. Hopefully, _hopefully_ she'll know when to stop.

----------

The next morning, the girls woke up on the same bed. Miley woke up first to see that she was face to face to Lilly. They were barely inches apart. Stupefied, the first thing she did was shriek and the second thing she did was push Lilly off the bed. An audible thump echoed through the room.

"What the fuck?" Lilly groaned as she tried to get up. She looked around the room and slowly saw Miley glaring at her. "What?"

"You are _not_ going to sleep here anymore!" Miley yelled and went straight to the bathroom, slamming the door shut. Lilly was left all alone on the floor, still bewildered.

About an hour later, both girls were set and a schedule was posted on their door. A personal tour guide was going to lead them through their week and how it's going to work. Breakfast was served, and a young man rolled in with their cart. The first thing Lilly noticed was his good physique. He was slim, but she could tell that he was extremely fit. Damn her disguise. If Miley weren't here, and if she wasn't wearing her stupid Ian costume, she'd be all over him.

"Hey ladies! I'm Mike, and I'll be your personal tour guide." His voice, Lilly noted, was very nice. It wasn't squeaky, it wasn't too low; it was perfect. "First things first, I'll give you guys your breakfast first and I'll be back in forty minutes to start things up." He pushed in the cart to the middle of the room, right next to the wooden table. Miley nodded approvingly as he set Belgian waffles and a side of powdered sugar with scrambled eggs on the table.

"Alright," he smiled. Lilly also noted that he has one hell of a cute smile. "Enjoy your meals! I'll be back."

When the door clicked, Miley whistled. "That boy is cookin' for some tips." Lilly nodded as she sat on her seat. "But I gotta say, he's pretty good-lookin'." Lilly stopped midway to opening her napkin.

"Hey, he's mine," she continued, going for the eggs first.

Miley scoffed. "You're a male. He's just gonna avoid you if you try to hit on him." She sliced the butter knife right into the fluffy waffles. She took a bite and savored it. "Now _this_ is how you should make the waffles."

Lilly rolled her eyes and resumed eating. Damn Miley for getting the benefit. "Must I remind you that I'm wearing this stupid disguise for you." Lilly stabbed the country potatoes violently. "You owe me big time when this is all over."

"I know," Miley simply said. "Which is why I'm giving you the house when it's done, remember?" Lilly sneered, which Miley didn't notice.

"I know," Lilly mocked. "I can't wait until the next six months are over," she muttered under her breath.

"Same here." At least they both agree on one thing for once.

----------

Mike came and went just like that before Lilly could talk to him. Unfortunately, he talked to Miley for just a few seconds longer than Lilly could take. Dang it. She cursed at her stupid disguise again.

After the dirty blonde boy showed them how to use their private sailboat, Lilly steered them to the middle of the ocean. They could still see the resort as a tiny speck from a distance. Great. Now that they're all alone on a sailboat, in the middle of the ocean, what could they possibly do?

Lilly turned off the engine and pulled the lever to open up the sails. Her hair felt nice being out of its wig with nothing suffocating over it. She also took off the rest of her disguise, since she was sure no one could see them. The whole time Lilly was busy doing everything else, Miley was just drinking a glass of wine, reclining on the bow.

"Want to help me for a second?"

Miley turned around and lowered her bug-eyed sunglasses. "No." Then she turned back and resumed drinking. Lilly flipped her off and felt better after doing that.

Lilly definitely came prepared to tan. Underneath Ian's buttoned up polo was a bikini top that Lilly hasn't worn in forever. She was surprised that it still fit her right. It was a risk not to wear her corset, but since Miley made her carry all of the stuff, she might as well just cover her front. Ian's jeans were off and she sat on the other side of the bow, trying not to get any closer to the devil that was drinking a glass of red wine.

The breeze blew freely through her hair. She honestly did not know why they had to go on a stupid boat ride. Who the hell made the schedule? Who even makes a schedule for a newlywed couple? Isn't the couple supposed to make the choices they wanted? Lame, she thought.

She never liked boats. They always ended up boring her half to death, since there was nothing to do on it. She'd rather surf, both wind-surfing or board surfing. Boat rides were always the last thing she wanted to do when she's near the water.

"God, what's there to do on a boat?" she said aloud. Miley cracked her neck. "Obviously we're out here in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do."

Next to her, Miley stood up, putting on her shirt again. "Why? You want to run away again?"

"I'd rather swim in an ocean full of sting rays than rather stay in a boat with you," Lilly spat.

"Then why don't you? I'm not stopping you." Miley fixed her hair into a messy bun and went to the back of the boat to get another drink. She sighed loudly and slammed the cooler.

Lilly stood up as Miley made her way back to the bow. "You know what? I'm sick and tired of your snooty remarks. You should be freaking thankful that I'm doing all this shit to help you cover your stupid mistake in the first place."

"It's your fault you showed up to the party! This would've never happened if you stayed at home and listened to me!"

"Fuck that! So you were just going to randomly pick a guy without looking and marry him in just two weeks? What the hell's wrong with you?"

Miley rolled her eyes. "It's not like that. You wouldn't understand anyways." She crossed her arms and continued drinking, facing away from Lilly.

Lilly, on the other hand, was seething greatly. So Miley was just going to use some random guy to make the guy that she likes to make him jealous?! How childish was that! If that ever happened, Lilly was thankful it didn't. She would've never made the negotiation to get her house back. "Argh! You're so _infuriating_!"

"Back at ya," Miley said.

"Argh!" Lilly crossed her arms and the boat shook as she nosily turned around.

"Shit, Lilly, don't do that!" Miley yelped. Lilly turned around and smirked.

"Oh this?" Lilly jumped on the ship back and forth, the small sailboat started to tilt back and forth. Miley quickly grasped the sail's pole.

"Shoot! I just told you not to do that!" Miley growled and Lilly stopped. At least she knew her limits until she had to stop.

"Fine."

Lilly kept on contemplating about Miley's potential reason of her sudden engagement. It was utterly greedy of her to do that, and Lilly would feel sad for the man who had to marry Miley. She knows how controlling Miley is, but all she had to keep on thinking was the reward: she's getting her house back, she's getting her house back.

"God, Lilly," Miley huffed. Lilly raised an eyebrow. What now? "Geez, you know what you are? You're such a childish person." Lilly gaped. "After I yell at you, you just shut up instantly and continue with whatever you're doing from before."

Me? _Childish_? Lilly was the last thing from childish! Miley was the one who was childish! What the hell?!

"Childish?!" Lilly squeaked. She shut her eyes, breathed in through the nose, exhaled out her mouth. "You think I'm childish huh?" Miley nodded. "Well, we'll see about that."

"What?"

But before Miley could question any further, she saw Lilly inching closer to her. She was tousling her hair against the wind and made a seductive-like (what?!) look. Miley blinked and noticed what the blonde woman was doing.

"Lilly, what are you doing? Lilly, stop. Stop it now." Lilly ignored her and started unbuttoning her shirt. Miley could see the lining of her orange bikini top. "We're not married for real, remember?"

Again, Lilly shook her head and did a small hair flip. Miley gulped and started to move backward. "H-hey, we're in a contract. Remember the rules?"

Lilly stopped. "Since when do you care?" Then she resumed. "Aw c'mon honey, we're basically _husband and wife_. Don't you think we need some quality time together now?" She was halfway through unbuttoning her shirt and Miley panicked. She chucked her red wine on Lilly's polo shirt.

"Ha!" Miley threw the plastic wine cup to the middle of the boat and stood up straighter, confident that she broke Lilly's stride.

"Well, that's gonna leave a stain." Lilly tsked. "It was my favorite shirt, too," she sighed and mockingly shook her head. Miley bit her lip. "Oh well, I guess I should throw this away now." Finally, she unbuttoned the last white button. Lilly held the bottom of her shirt, playfully opening it up slowly. "Are you scared?"

"N-no! I'm not scared. I never get scared." Miley stepped back slowly. "Lilly stop! Lilly, find yourself. What are you trying to do?"

"This." In one swift move, she jerked herself and flashed her swimsuit to Miley, causing her to back up against the boat's railing, making her fall off the sailboat. "Ha!"

Miley flailed her arms, trying to reach the surface. Lilly watched her and mockingly laughed at her. "Childish my ass! Next time, don't mess with me."

As she was about to walk away, she heard a strangled gurgling sound beneath her. She stopped walking and watched Miley.

"I can't swim!" The brunette gurgled, trying to find herself to reach the surface. "I can't –" Miley gurgled the rest of the sentence as she went down the water.

Wide-eyed, Lilly panicked. "Miley!" No response. "Miley!" Nothing. Shit.

By instinct, Lilly dove straight into the water, headed right towards Miley's direction. The water wasn't clear, since she had to squint because of her contacts. Ten feet away from her, she could see a mass of bubbles and a dark figure moving awkwardly in the water. Instantly, she swam quickly and grabbed Miley by the waist. Right when she did, Miley stopped moving her arms and her head dropped back to Lilly's direction. She brought both of them up to the surface and heaved a deep breath, paddling towards the boat.

With all of her strength that was left, she pushed Miley up to the boat's platform on the stern. She pushed herself up and brought her ear next to Miley's chest. Her heartbeat was faint.

Lilly didn't know what to do next. Maybe it was a bad idea to ditch CPR class, she quickly thought. She always watched on it TV, especially on Baywatch, how Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff do their CPR. But Lilly couldn't trust herself to do it. Instead, she slapped Miley's face lightly and yelled her name.

"Miley?!" Shit, what the hell did I just do? "Miley! Wake up!" Nothing yet. God damn it. "Miley!" Lilly smacked her cheek and Miley finally coughed. Water overflowed to the sides of her mouth. Exhaling, Lilly relaxed and knelt back down.

Crap it. Today was just not a good day for her.

Moments after Miley got her consciousness back, Lilly gave her a dry towel and let her sit on the cushioned seats. Lilly felt guilty for taking the joke too far and decided to apologize.

She changed into another polo, a clean one that's still unbuttoned, and sat next to Miley. Awkward was the word Lilly was looking for. It was beginning to get slightly windy, and their hair was down and wet. To make sure she wasn't sick, Lilly put a hand on Miley's forehead to check her temperature. Miley smacked it away.

"Hey! I was just checking your temperature!"

"Fuck you! I almost died because of you, damn it! What the hell was wrong with you?" Miley fixed her towel and wrapped it around herself again.

So much for the sincere apology. "Look, I'm sorry, but I just saved your life! Excuse you, Ms. Bitchy. Sheesh." Lilly crossed her arms and looked straight ahead. "I would at least like a thanks from you."

"For what? Thanks for making me drown?! God!"

"You're so conceited! I just apologized and I don't get a thanks. Wow." Miley growled and clenched her fists. Lilly scoffed. "y'know, you should be thankful that I didn't leave you there. I really should've though." Lilly stood up and walked over to the steering wheel. "Life…it shouldn't be considered so lightly. So be thankful."

Miley made a face behind the other girl's back. She made me drown! I almost died because of her. God. Be thankful, my ass.

----------

Lilly second guessed about saving Miley. She really did. If Miley weren't here, then she would have had to carry all the crap to their cabin. She couldn't believe that Miley used her own words so lightly. Right when they got back to the shore, Miley directly ordered Lilly to carry all their belongings. Halfway back to their cabin, Miley snorted and teased her, saying, "You shouldn't consider life too lightly." God damn her to hell. Lilly really shouldn't have saved her.

Miley opened the door, but didn't hold it open for Lilly. So, she kicked it open and dropped all of the junk near the small dining table. Using the shower was the first Lilly wanted to do, but of course, Miley beat her to it and almost forty minutes later she was done. When Lilly got into the shower, she couldn't even see herself in the mirror. Everything was fogged up. Damn Miley for not opening up the stupid window.

After Lilly was done with her shower, Miley was already lying on the middle of the king sized bed, reading a magazine from the bedside stand. Great, Lilly thought. I totally forgot about the bed problem.

"Well?" she questioned, standing on one side of the bed. Miley just looked at her blankly.

"Yea?" Lilly motioned her head towards the bed. "I've decided that you're gonna sleep outside in the backyard."

"What?" Lilly gaped.

"Out. There." Miley pointed her hand to the left, to where the patio doors were leading back out. "You see that there? You can either sleep on the hammock or on the cushioned recliner. Whichever is your choice."

"How-how can I sleep outside?"

Miley sighed dramatically and set down the magazine on her lap. "God, sleeping is sleeping! Why do you complain so much?" The brunette resumed reading her magazine and left Lilly alone to contemplate where she was going to sleep for the night.

Sleep outside? What the hell was she thinking? Maybe this was her pay back, but this was way too much. Lilly could get sick sleeping outside! There must be another way, Lilly concluded.

She tried sleeping in the bathtub, but it just didn't work. At all. So she moved to a chair next to a desk where the lamp and the resort's complimentary pens and notepads were placed. It was comfortable, but only for awhile. Miley only gave her a little square pillow, which didn't really give her much help. Finally, with no other choice, she went outside.

She tried to lie down on the hammock, but she couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. Every time she moved, the hammock swung and she was scared to flip around and fall face first on the dirt floor. One last chance, Lilly thought as she moved to the cushioned recliner. She didn't like it. It was dirty. And she thought that a private island resort would clean everything. Wrong. There was a small towel laid beside her and she used it as a blanket. It was useless. The towel went until her shins and her feet were getting cold. The fuzzy socks were not working. And not only was it cold, but moths and mosquitoes were attracted to the light coming from inside the room. She got bitten by the damned insects at least five times.

Irritated by the moths flying around her and the mosquitoes biting her, she chose to go back and take back her king-sized bed, no matter what Miley says. Screw her.

"What are you doing in here?" Miley was about to turn off the lights until Lilly was standing at the foot of the bed, hands on hips. "You scared to sleep outside or something?" she teased. "What, you'd rather sleep on the floor? 'Cause I don't mind at all." Lilly glared at Miley while she grinned. "Or what? You wanna sleep here," Miley patted on the covers. She tauntingly teased the blonde as she rubbed the soft material under her hands. "The bed's wide enough to fit the both of us," she said. Patting the bed, she made a mocking face. "C'mere," she winked, smiling wholly. "C'mon, we're basically _husband and wife_." Lilly rolled her eyes. She's using her words all over again. "C'mon sweetie, I won't bite."

Lilly sighed exaggeratingly, and walked back outside. No way in hell would she sleep in the same bed with that kind of person. She'd rather be bitten by mosquitoes than sleep next to her.

Too bad that opinion only lasted a short five minutes. Frustrated, Lilly strode back in and stood at the front of the bed.

She kicked the bed begrudgingly. "Ugh, what the hell do you want now?!" Miley yelled. She was already lying down, nearly half-asleep.

Lilly said nothing except taking off her sweatshirt, revealing her cami. Lilly doesn't exactly like wearing a bra when she sleeps. She needs her babies to breathe once in awhile, and that could only be during the night. Miley wide-eyed and sat up straighter.

"What the hell are you doing?" Miley questioned, rubbing her eyes.

"What? I've decided to take in your advice and just sleep with you." Lilly fluttered her eyes. "After all," Lilly imitated her from before, "we're basically _husband and wife_."

Speechless, Miley gaped as Lilly started to crawl onto the bed, starting from her legs. This-this is unnecessary! What the hell is she doing?! But before Miley could compute what was going on, Lilly was already straddling Miley's thighs.

"C'mon, honey, don't you want some?" Lilly leaned down as Miley covered her chest by crossing her arms in an X form. "Are you scared again?"

Miley grunted as she pushed Lilly off of her and Lilly lied facing up to the ceiling inches away to Miley. "Hmm, it's so _comfortable_." She readjusted herself and giggled. "Don't you think so?"

Miley gaped. Not only was this chick dumb enough to do this, but she was wearing a cami without a freaking bra and was wearing a pair of boyfriend boxers (which Miley knows it's a pair from Aerie's). And she attempted to seduce her. Again! Some nerve she has. No way was she going to let this happen. Lilly was not going to have the advantage again.

Miley ripped off her hoodie and showed off her sports bra she was wearing underneath. She lied back down on her side, but only to put a leg and an arm across Lilly's legs and stomach. "Sorry, but I just need my room. I'm a bit of a cuddler, I hope you don't mind." Miley brought herself closer to Lilly as her front was smushed against Lilly's right side.

Lilly froze, but played with the game. This was war, and Lilly is not going to lose this time. "Sure! I might be of a drooler, so I hope you don't mind about that either." Miley tried to hide her disgusted face. "Don't worry, I don't bite either." Then Lilly put her free leg on top of Miley's. Their legs were entangled as with their arms. It had to be the most awkward position Lilly has ever been in a long time.

"You shouldn't be taking me so lightly now, eh?" Lilly grabbed the other girl's wrist before she could get punched in the face. Seconds later, they were playing Mercy with their bodies.

"Get –" Miley struggled to push Lilly's arms out of her face –"off!"

"Hey!"

Both girls sat up quickly, panting after a physical fight of Mercy. Lilly was working a good sweat going against Miley. But as if that was enough, Miley took a hand behind Lilly's neck and one hand on a shoulder, and pulled her towards her face. Lilly muscled up and sat strongly in her place, unmoved. Defiantly, she put her chin up, shocking Miley for a split second.

Lilly just wanted to go to sleep. Why the hell did they have to do all this shit? Lilly blinked twice as Miley slapped her other hand to Lilly's neck, bringing in her closer. She then tilted her neck, slowly moving forward to Lilly's disgusted face.

Back and forth, they struggled. One wanted to pucker up and kiss while the other held her place and bit her lips together. Lilly squinted until she couldn't take it anymore.

"God! Fine!" Lilly whacked the other girl's hands away from her neck and got up from the bed, quickly taking her sweatshirt that was crumpled up on the floor. "Argh!"

Miley breathed out and did the same. Exaggerating grunts were exchanged as Lilly walked out to the back and slammed the patio door.

"_Aaaaahhhhh!!_" Lilly screamed as she squirmed around in her seat. Stupid Miley had to do that stupid shit… She can't take it anymore! If she had the strength to swim across the ocean back to Malibu, she would.

----------

Breakfast the next morning was just how Lilly expected it to be. She ate in the backyard, Miley ate inside. There easy. Sleeping outside wasn't exactly all that bad in the end. The damn mosquitoes stopped biting her after about an hour she stayed outside. The moths were just there.

When the two girls were getting ready, if one glance was given, they'd scoff and roll their eyes or flip each other off when the other turned around. The feeling was mutual and they could do nothing to change it, really.

Mike knocked forty minutes after they ate their breakfast, and he, too, could also feel the uneasy tension between the couple. He didn't go into much detail about their schedule that they were going to do that day. It just consisted of them going swimming in the resort's pool (optional), kayaking, and/or diving. Since Lilly couldn't do the former or the latter, the kayaking was the only thing they could do together. Boy, were they excited to do that.

But first Miley wanted to tan, so Lilly waited inside the room. With nothing else to do, she took out a piece of paper and began to doodle. Hating Miley was the primary thing on her mind, so she decided to deface a picture of Miley with a gap, acne, freckles, and messy hair, which was obviously, Lilly noticed, the complete opposite of what she is now.

Just after an hour of tanning both her front and back side, Miley saw Lilly sitting on the dinner table, bored out of her mind. She honestly couldn't explain why she did all of that last night, but Lilly was just really, _really_ bugging her that day. Not to mention that she freaking drowned her by pushing her into the water! Okay, so maybe she didn't push her into the ocean, but still…

Still, nothing. A small conscience told her that she should probably thank her for saving her life, and that it wasn't Lilly's fault for pushing – no, she didn't push – her into the water. She was just joking. Both girls were on each other's toes that day and a chain of unlucky events just coincidentally had to happen on that day.

So maybe Miley should do something. Show that she's thankful, but not at once, because she doesn't want Lilly to make fun of her later on. But what?

A bell rang inside her head. And it literally rang outside their fenced yard. She didn't know if it was a coincidence, or what, but she found her idea.

Lilly blew her hair out of her face, but then it ended up going back to its previous place, tickling her. This was gay. She just wanted to fuck this shit out and just screw it all. Just screw it. A part of her, a very small part of her, was actually looking forward to this vacation. But of course, something always has to bring it down. Damn Miley. God, no matter what Lilly wants to do to her, she just couldn't. Her energy was just gone and so was her patience. It's pathetic, she thought ruefully.

She finally stopped drawing her picture of Miley and sighed. Yes, apparently life could get so boring that she'd rather be dead. Wow.

"Hey, I'm gonna go now. You still gonna sleep here?"

Lilly looked up as her chin was set on the table, her body slouching against the table. She simply ignored her and closed her eyes.

"I'm gonna go sneak out and go do something else than kayaking. I thought you'd want to go around the island?"

No response yet again.

"Fine. If you don't want to, you don't have to. It'll be really fun and it's good to get some exercise once in awhile." Miley turned on her heel and slowly headed out the door. She heard a distinctive thud behind her and saw that Lilly wasn't sitting on the dining table anymore.

Plan A worked, Miley began checking through her checklist mentally. Plan B was having to do something with hoping that Lilly wouldn't mind doing. Miley thought that she wouldn't, since she was sporty. Or so she assumed.

By the time Lilly got out without her disguise, she looked pretty surprised to see two bikes resting against the wall. When she got out the door, she looked happier than before, possibly for not having to wear her costume, since they were sneaking out behind Mike's back, but then her face just changed in an instant as she saw the bikes.

"You know how to ride one?" Miley asked as she was sitting on her own Scwhinn bike.

"Sure…" Miley could hear the voice on uncertainty ring out. She raised an eyebrow. "Well I have, but I haven't recently. It's been awhile."

"Whoa. Hold up. Girl who saved my life and can swim say what?" Lilly smiled and Miley nodded. "Alright then. I'll teach you, I guess."

It'll be easy, she thought. Yea fucking right. Lilly fell at least more than three times and the bike scratched Miley at least a billion times as she tried to show Lilly how to pedal and steer at the same time while regaining her balance. Teaching grown people to do something was not an easy task. Especially when it was to Lilly. Frick, Miley just wanted to kick the damned bike and make them walk around the whole island instead. Patience, Miley patience. But it just won't come. They were at this for the longest time!

"God, are you a freaking idiot?! Do you not know how to freaking steer a freaking bike?!"

Lilly glared at her. "I said it's been awhile! I don't even own a bike! Jesus!"

Miley fanned herself from the heat. She was burning, even if she was wearing a tank top with a pair of short shorts. "Bird brain," she muttered under her breath.

"Excuse me?"

"You're a freaking bird brain, damn it!" Miley went around and stood behind Lilly. She put her hands on the bottom of her seat, ready to push. "This time, do well."

Lilly curled her lip and rolled her eyes. She began to pedal slowly as her arms twitched, going left and right. It felt like something was controlling her arms or something. Dang, this was harder than swimming! "Don't push too hard!"

Too late. The bike lost its balance and Lilly fell with it, down to the hard concrete. Miley sighed and put her hands on her hips. Then she heard sobbing. Pathetic little sobs. Miley looked down at Lilly who was cradling her knee.

"Let me see." The brunette squatted down and inspected Lilly's injury. "It's just a scrape! Big deal!"

Lilly violently shook her head. What a child, Miley thought. "No! It's not just that!"

"Then why the hell are you crying?"

"Argh, god! To be called stupid, and to be insulted for no freaking reason! And honestly, I don't even know why I'm here, on some secret island!" Lilly droned on and on as Miley observed her. Her cries became more and more pathetic. With no other choice, Miley came up with the only remedy.

"Don't cry," she deadpanned. "And don't cry so loud! What if Mike or someone else sees us?" But that only made things worse. Miley looked around and put her head in her hands. "I'll buy you some ice cream."

Lilly wiped her face. "You think I'm joking? You think I'm some little kid who needs some stupid reward to make me feel better, huh?" She sniffed loudly and stomped the floor. "Jesus, get your head screwed on right!"

----------

"One vanilla and one strawberry, please." She took out her wallet and handed three dollars in Fijian money. The trade was done and she gave Lilly the pink ice cream. Lilly took it gratefully and whisked away before Miley could see her face. But Miley knew that she was right. Ice cream really does make things better.

They decided to take Miley's bike. Lilly sat on the pannier rack while Miley steered and pedaled the bike towards their destination. They didn't go far until they reached a small village of little cafés and bakeries with the beach alongside.

Little tents were set, just like the shops down on Venice Beach, Lilly thought. Unique antiques and sterling of Fiji were lined up one by one. They all looked better on the table rather than on her. But Miley wanted to buy one sterling bracelet and ring for each of them and Lilly undeniably wanted one, too.

So Lilly got the moon design and Miley got the star design, because, quote – I'm the star in real life – unquote. Lilly couldn't believe that she did say that, but she did. After all, it was Miley.

Hours and hours of walking down the aisle of tents, Lilly suggested that they should go see the sunset by the beach. Miley agreed and pedaled both of them down the sidewalk until they reached a nice little wooden bench next to the sidewalk and in front of the people going back and forth the sidewalk behind them.

Fatigue struck Lilly quicker before she can yawn and her eyes began to droop. Tiredly, she thought that today, overall, was a miracle. She finally realized that she and Miley finally got along, and fought only on the little unimportant things that in the end, they'd both agree on the same thing. It was weird for her at first, but it felt really, _really_ nice later on. And Miley made her _laugh_. Like, seriously, _laugh_ until her stomach cramped up.

She blinked a few times to notice that they were touching each other without killing each other. It was nice. Her head was tucked in Miley's neck and in-between the girl's head and tender shoulder. Lilly smiled softly. Her eyes felt heavy again.

She was more than thankful to realize what she was feeling before she went to sleep. She hasn't felt like this in a long time.

That feeling of being able to connect and converse with someone so freely, it almost gave her a happy death. Yes. That feeling of possibly, maybe, gaining a new friend.

----------

He had that feeling in his gut again. This was the umpteenth time that he excused himself to the bathroom. Mikayla and the director thought it would be a good idea for him to go back home and let him rest it off. But home…He has no home. He was always continually moving from place to place to place. First he was in Malibu, then he was in Kansas City. Then he moved to Canada, and with no other choice, he moved to Europe for the time being. After he was done filming, he would most likely move back to Malibu. Possibly somewhere near Miley's new place.

But that was impossible. Miley's married. To some guy named Ian. _Ian_. Does Miley know any guy named Ian? Jake would've known who Ian was beforehand.

And that sudden confirmation of Miley, as Hannah, getting married to Ian in a matter of weeks stunned him. That wasn't exactly the way Miley behaves.

Something's up, he concluded. Something's wrong. That sudden engagement, all the publicity stuff…There's something fishy about it, but he can't place his finger on it.

But someday, when he gets that time, Jake Ryan will most definitely find out what's going on.

* * *

**Yea. I dunno. Wow. I'll leave the comments up to you.**

**Oh, and I won't be updating this quickly again. Just to let you know. Nor will I write the chapters as long as this one. For me, this chapter was really long to write. I neglected my school work to write this chapter for you. Alright. That's all. Leave your thoughts, please?**


End file.
